Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator. The government is committed to supporting Canadian employers and helping them to adapt to the current economic conditions. Canada has experienced continued low unemployment rates. While there are some signs that current labour shortages are easing, the rebound is inconsistent. Furthermore, certain sectors such as the agricultural sector are still facing challenges.

In April 2022, the government introduced the Temporary Foreign Worker Program Workforce Solutions Road Map to help employers fill job vacancies in the wake of labour shortages.

More recently, the government has announced changes to the road map to better reflect current labour market conditions and to reflect the economic outlook for the future. These extended measures will be in place until August 30 of this year and will be reviewed as labour market and economic conditions continue to evolve in the coming months.