Economics
Migrant-Friendly Canada Struggles to Attract Migrant Farm Staff
- Canada seeks to fill shortage of seasonal labor due to virus
- Government facing pressure to tie Covid-19 aid to work
Photographer: Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images
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Canada traditionally rolls out the welcome mat for seasonal workers to help on the country’s farms. Now it can’t find enough willing to make the journey.
There is scant local interest in farmwork, so Canada’s agriculture sector relies on nearly 60,000 foreign workers to make the journey north each year from countries like Mexico, Jamaica and Guatemala. This year, however, some migrant laborers are deciding to stay home to protect themselves from the coronavirus, resulting in a dearth in essential foreign labor.