'We need more people': business groups shed light on labour shortage 'crisis'
A coalition of business groups is sounding the alarm over a massive labour shortage provincewide.
"We are living in crisis. For real," said François Vincent, vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Quebec division.
According to a recent survey of small to medium businesses in Quebec, three-fifths suggested refraining from starting a business in this climate.
There are currently 220,000 vacant positions across the province.
Karl Blackburn, CEO of the Quebec employer's council (CPQ), says immigration is one solution.
"That's why we propose more than 70,000 immigrants a year for the coming years," he said.
In that same survey, some 45 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses reported they've had to turn down sales or contracts because of a lack of workers.
The business groups point out that the labour shortage didn't start out with the pandemic, but it certainly made it worse.
"When the economy started back up again, the labour shortage came back as issue number one," said Vincent.
Many workers chose to take federal relief benefits -- and then change careers -- rather than return to work for low wages.
On the supply side, not only did some manufacturers close during the pandemic, they suddenly found themselves having to make different products than they were used to upon reopening.
"We’re on a shift with certain products. So, if you’re looking at construction products, looking to renovate your house, there are a lot of delays. So, there has been a shift in demand, and the supply chain hasn’t been able to adapt," said Veronique Proulx, CEO of the group representing manufacturers and exporters (MEQ).
Things are tough on the retail side, too, according to Jean-Guy Cote, director of the Quebec retail council (CQCD).
"We need more people, we need more people on the floor, we need more people in the back of stores," he said. "Soon it’s going to be Christmas time, so it’s very worrying for a lot of businesses."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.