Employers in Canada are in greater demand for temporary foreign workers than they were five years ago; in 2023, they will have the opportunity to hire over twice as many people.

A CBC examination of federal data on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) revealed that the program's acceptance has increased nationwide and across numerous industries. For instance, TFWP hired 287 administrative assistants in 2018, but as of right now, that number has increased to 3,337. The rise in construction labourers was much more notable, rising from 132 in 2018 to 5,353 in 2023.

According to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) data, the program, which is intended to reduce labor strains on employers in the short term, brought in 239,646 TFWs in 2023—an increase of 130,658 over 2018.

According to the Paula Duhatschek cut on CBC, the initiative has drawn criticism for weakening "healthy competition in a market economy" and placing workers in a precarious position despite its short-term benefits.

Business associations, labour unions, and regular people have all expressed displeasure with the scheme over time. Professor of labour economics at the University of Waterloo Mikal Skuterud remarked, "All we hear about is labor shortages, [but] we have to begin to recognize that this really is a self-serving narrative mostly coming from corporate Canada."

After the economy recovered from the pandemic, the government loosened regulations governing the program, which contributed to the sharp rise in demand for TFW.