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April 24, 2020TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS IN AGRICULTURE, 2016-2018 (UPDATED) **This article originally published on March 24, 2020 has been updated with new estimates of total agricultural employment in Canada**
Statistics Canada has released updated data on the number of temporary foreign workers who come to Canada to work in agriculture.
In 2018, There were 54,734 temporary foreign workers in agriculture including single individuals who held more than one job in different locations during the year. There were 50,641 temporary foreign workers in Canadian Agriculture in 2017, 48,585 in 2016 and 45,005 in 2015.
The bulk of these workers were employed in three types of crop farms: vegetable/melon farming (24 per cent), fruit/tree nut farming (27 per cent) and greenhouse/nursery/floriculture production (34 per cent). These three sectors accounted for 85 per cent of temporary foreign workers in agriculture in 2018.
Measured as a percentage of employees in the agriculture sector* for each farm product, temporary foreign workers are most prevalent in fruit/tree nut production, vegetable/melon output and greenhouses/nursery/floriculture. Temporary foreign workers make up a lower share of total agriculture sector employment in animal farming as well as oilseeds/grain farming.
*Data on total agriculture sector employment has been revised using new data on total employment in the agriculture sector (including full time, part time and seasonal employment).
Of the 54,734 temporary foreign workers in Canadian agriculture in 2018, 64.6 per cent worked on agricultural operations with over $2 million in farm revenue. A further 15.0 per cent worked at operations with farm revenue between $1 million and $2 million while 10.1 per cent worked at operations with farm revenue between $0.5 million and $1 million.
Temporary foreign workers are a larger share of employment at farms with revenues in excess of $2 million.
Temporary foreign workers amount to 20.4 per cent of employment in Canada's agriculture sector*. The largest shares of temporary foreign workers relative to agricultural employment are found in Ontario, British Columba, Quebec and Nova Scotia. The lowest shares of temporary foreign workers in employees in the agriculture sector are reported in the prairie provinces as well as in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.
From 2016 to 2018, growth in temporary foreign workers in agriculture was fastest in British Columbia, Quebec and New Brunswick (rising from a small base).
The number of temporary foreign workers in Nova Scotia agriculture was little changed between 2016 and 2018, rising from 1,563 to 1,566. Temporary foreign workers increased as a share of employees in the Nova Scotia agriculture sector because total employment in Nova Scotia's agriculture sector declined. The use of temporary foreign workers relative to agricultural employment declined in each of the prairie provinces.
*Data on total agriculture sector employment has been revised using new data on total employment in the agriculture sector (including full time, part time and seasonal employment).
The largest number of temporary foreign workers come to Canada from Mexico, followed by Jamaica and Guatemala. Together, these three countries accounted for 88 per cent of the temporary foreign workers in Canada.
Note that the number of temporary foreign workers by origin is lower than the number of positions held by temporary foreign workers because of individuals who held positions at multiple locations.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0215-01 Employees in the agriculture sector, and agricultural operations with at least one employee, by industry
Table 32-10-0216-01 Employees in the agriculture sector, and agricultural operations with at least one employee, by province
Table 32-10-0217-01 Employees in the agriculture sector, and agricultural operations with at least one employee, by category of farm revenue
Table 32-10-0218-01 Jobs filled by temporary foreign workers in the agriculture sector, and agricultural operations with at least one temporary foreign worker, by industry
Table 32-10-0219-01 Jobs filled by temporary foreign workers in the agriculture sector, and agricultural operations with at least one temporary foreign worker, by province
Table 32-10-0220-01 Jobs filled by temporary foreign workers in the agriculture sector, and agricultural operations with at least one temporary foreign worker, by category of farm revenue
Table 32-10-0221-01 Countries of citizenship for temporary foreign workers in the agricutural sector
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