This Statistics Canada study documents annual trends in employment and earnings of foreign workers employed in agriculture and various subsectors of agriculture, as well as the characteristics of foreign workers in this industry. It also examines transitions to permanent residence for those who entered Canada as foreign workers and worked in agriculture. The main objective of the analysis is to provide a deeper understanding of the use of foreign worker programs in agriculture in Canada.
The Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program (SAWP) is available for farming businesses in specific commodities to hire citizens from Mexico or participating Caribbean countries, for work activity related to on-farm primary agriculture. Pre-negotiated worker agreements (contracts) include specific requirements around the length of time that can be worked in a year and the hours of work.
The majority of foreign workers were employed in crop production, which accounted for 88.1% of all foreign workers in agriculture in 2005 and 88.2% in 2017.
Published By: Statistics Canada
Publication Date: April 28, 2021
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