TEMPORARY MIGRATION AND LABOR MARKET 暂时迁移与劳动力市场.docVIP

TEMPORARY MIGRATION AND LABOUR MARKET RESPONSIVENESS IN THE PRAIRIE PROVINCES AND THE NORTH Speaking Notes for Robert Vineberg Director General Prairies and Northern Territories Region Citizenship and Immigration Canada for “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Metropolis Presents: Policy-Research Seminar on Temporary Migration March 12, 2008 Library and Archives Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario  Intend to provide an overview of the role of temporary migration as a component of the broader labour market in the Prairie Provinces and the North. Also will look at the links between temporary and permanent migration in the context of today’s western economy and labour market. Given the nature of this symposium, at which we have been asked to be controversial, the opinions expressed in this presentation are mine and not, necessarily, those of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Canada’s labour market has been evolving over the years but in recent years the pace of change has accelerated. In recent history, Canada’s labour market problem had always been how to employ Canada’s surplus of workers entering the labour market each year. This was driven largely by a number of factors over the years: The large scale entry of women into the labour force during WWII and, unlike after WWI, the decision of many to remain in the workforce The large number of servicemen returning to the labour force at the end of WWII The Baby Boom High levels of immigration Throughout the post-war period all these factors led to high levels of unemployment and therefore the ability of the domestic labour market to meet all but certain specialised needs that could be met by immigration. Temporary migration, in the pre-air travel days, was almost non-existent. The current TFWP was only introduced in the 1970s and was clearly designed to be an exceptional response to unique needs. Unemployment remained high in Canada as the points systems for permanent residence came into effect in 1966, followe