Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for the permanent elimination of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program and an immediate halt to new permits, citing rising unemployment and wage suppression concerns.
The opposition leader’s announcement comes as Employment Insurance requests increased 7.4 percent since Prime Minister Mark Carney took office, rising from 504,110 in March to 541,430 in June, according to Poilievre. Nearly 400,000 Canadians have been searching for work for over two years, representing the highest share of long-term unemployment since February 1998 outside of pandemic periods.
Youth employment hits 25-year low
Youth employment has reached its lowest level in more than 25 years excluding pandemic periods, while companies continue hiring temporary foreign workers at unprecedented rates, said Poilievre. Tim Hortons hired 1,131 percent more temporary foreign workers over four years, he said.
“Prime Minister Carney has failed to meet his own already excessive immigration targets and now he’s on track to issue the highest number of TFW permits ever in a single year,” Poilievre said. “It’s time to take decisive action to protect our youth and workers.”
TFW permits exceed government cap
The government issued 105,000 new Temporary Foreign Worker permits in the first six months of 2025, according to Poilievre. Despite a promised cap of 82,000, the Liberals are on track to issue the most TFW permits ever, the Conservatives said in a press release.
Temporary foreign workers now represent almost two percent of Canada’s total private sector workforce, with nearly three-quarters earning less than the median income, according to the Conservatives.
Unemployment matches recession levels
Current unemployment levels match “levels typically only seen during recessionary periods,” according to CIBC, as cited by the Conservatives. In Ontario, 700,500 people were unemployed in July, compared to 684,200 during the Great Recession’s peak in June 2009.
Shadow Immigration Minister Michelle Rempel Garner said young Canadians face barriers to career advancement due to increased competition from temporary workers.
“Not long ago, young Canadians could gain vital skills in entry-level jobs, earn enough to pay for school, and build a future,” Rempel Garner said. “In return, employers built a skilled domestic workforce. But the Liberals broke that deal, leading to staggering youth unemployment and heartbreaking stories of graduates sending hundreds of resumes without a single callback.”
Conservative proposal for transition
Under the Conservative proposal, the Temporary Foreign Worker program would be permanently abolished with a separate program for agricultural labour. Ultra-low-unemployment regions would receive a maximum five-year transition period, but no new permits would be issued anywhere in Canada.
The plan aims to address wage suppression in an oversaturated job market while Canada faces housing and healthcare crises alongside potential AI disruption of employment, according to Rempel Garner.
