Quebec is a province most affected by labor shortages

According to a recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), the shortage of workers in Quebec was particularly felt, with many companies having to reject sales or close their doors permanently.

Business leaders and their employees, in particular, had to work long hours to make up for the shortfall of 63% and 45%, respectively.

The accommodation (79%), catering (70%) and construction (65%) sectors were particularly affected by the increase in working hours.

“Three out of five SME managers are working longer hours due to lack of manpower and are working significantly more in some areas. In fact, it has had a steamroller effect on Quebec’s economic activity, “said Franయిois Vincent, Quebec’s vice president at CFIB.

Two out of five SMEs had to reject sales or contracts due to staff shortages, 26% of whom had to cancel or postpone projects.

This consequence can be seen not only in the construction (67%) and manufacturing (45%) sectors, but also in the restaurant sector (48%) where there have been several closures since the onset of the Kovid-19 epidemic.

Between the fourth quarter of 2019 and 2020 the number of vacancies in Quebec increased by 88%, from 126,730 to 238,140.

“It is therefore time for Quebec to adopt a plan to reduce the tax burden, improve tax credits to address labor shortages and increase the number of applicants available through permanent immigration. The longer we wait to work, the harder it is to climb the coast and the greater the negative impact on our economy, ”Mr Vincent said.

The survey was conducted from March 14 to April 7, 2022 in Quebec with 1,332 CFIB members.