According to the latest findings from the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), Canada’s agricultural sector is facing an impending labour shortage, with over 100,000 jobs expected to remain unfilled by 2030. The CAHRC, in partnership with The Conference Board of Canada, has released a labour market supply and demand forecast revealing a significant 15 per cent increase in job vacancies compared to 2022 levels.
The study, titled “Sowing Seeds of Change,” attributes this anticipated shortage to an aging workforce, with projections indicating that more than 85,300 individuals, or 30 per cent of the current workforce, are set to retire within the decade. Despite efforts to bridge this gap with temporary foreign workers (TFW), the report forecasts that even by 2030, around 22,200 positions, or 20 per cent of jobs, will remain unoccupied.
Jennifer Wright, executive director of CAHRC, highlighted the severity of the situation, stating, “Labour shortages are one of the most serious issues in agriculture because they have a direct impact on local food security, economic development, and the sustainability of the sector.” She emphasized the role of CAHRC’s labour market data in developing strategies to address current and future industry challenges.
To combat this labour crisis, the report recommends several measures including public education initiatives to enhance agriculture’s image, the refinement of HR management practices, and the incorporation of new technologies and automation. These suggestions aim to attract and retain a more substantial workforce in the agricultural sector.
Additionally, the labour market forecast supports the development of CAHRC’s National Workforce Strategic Plan (NWSP), a comprehensive framework designed to address labour shortages and skill gaps across the agricultural industry. The strategic plan has seen the participation of over 100 stakeholders, ranging from primary producers to government officials.
The research and its subsequent report have been facilitated by funding from Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) initiative, “Growing the Agriculture Workforce of the Future: Cultivating Canada’s Post-Pandemic Recovery,” under the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workplace Solutions Program (SWSP). This program aims to assist vital economic sectors in resolving current and future workforce challenges.