Major labour shortage looms in Atlantic Canada as immigration cuts take hold
Steve Jamieson had no choice but to look outside the country for workers.
The electrical contractor in Prince Edward Island is short five electricians and because his business is running flat out, he’s often forced to take a pass on more work due to a lack of workers. That also means projects take more time to finish and his company is spending more money to get things done, as are his clients.
Jamieson was able to recruit three electricians from the United Kingdom, but they haven’t shown up yet, even though the process started six months ago.
“We’re trying to grow our business, but you can only grow if you have the staff,” he said. “There’s work that we pass on because we don’t have the staff to get the job done in a timely manner.”
Like many Atlantic Canadian employers, Jamieson is facing a daunting challenge: an aging workforce in a region that already has the oldest population in the country. The construction industry is losing many people to retirement and they are not being replaced fast enough.
More immigration would help stop the bleeding, Jamieson said. As a result, he’s concerned about the federal government’s planned cuts to immigration. Canada will accept 395,000 permanent residents next year, down from 485,000 this year. More cuts will follow in 2026 and 2027, with just 380,000 and 365,000, respectively, allowed in.
Business people in Atlantic Canada say the region has room to grow, but is facing a shrinking labour pool, which is hurting growth.
All but one of the Atlantic provinces are projected to see slower gross domestic product (GDP) growth next year because fewer people will be arriving, mostly due to immigration cuts. The region is facing shortages of pharmacists, health-care workers and heavy
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