A shortage of labor associated with a shortage of housing; this greatly limits the ability to fill the many positions available in Quebec. If solutions are not quickly put in place, both literally and figuratively, the housing problem will further hamper the development of businesses in La Belle Province.
The shortage of housing leads to staggering rent increases. According to the Association of Construction and Housing Professionals of Quebec, approximately 100,000 new housing units are needed, but due to costs, the construction sector is likely to reduce its rental housing starts by 32% this year. This is nothing to improve the vacancy rate of 1.7%, nearly half the rate allowing the balance between supply and demand.
This housing crisis has significant repercussions on the efforts made by Quebec companies, in all sectors of activity, to recruit abroad in order to fill their many vacant positions. Indeed, if qualified foreign talent cannot find accommodation in the greater Montreal area, where half of the Quebec population resides, then it is necessary to choose remoteness. And who says remoteness also says more difficult integration in his adopted country. For a person of an urban nature, the remote suburbs are not the desired lifestyle.
Of course and more and more, teleworking means that distance is no longer a problem in itself for working. However, the further one moves away from the large urban centres, the further one moves away from the multicultural aspect. For an immigrant, regardless of their origin, it will always be easier to integrate quickly with professional or cultural associations already established locally, where members can share their practical experiences and explain the operation of certain daily life services.
Withdrawals on the rise
If expatriates are not happy in the sector or region where they live, the distances to cover for their professional and personal activities do not suit them and integration is difficult due to a lack of landmarks, everything this can lead to premature departures. Our society then loses a qualified workforce, while the employer must try to fill the same positions again.
The other aspect that must be considered in this intertwined context of labor and housing shortages is that you have to look beyond the attractive skills of the newcomer: you also have to think of their family. This reality further complicates the issue of affordable access to housing for newly arrived workers. Families are looking for decent apartments with multiple bedrooms, which is becoming increasingly rare in today’s environment. And if the job is telecommuting, you also have to think about a space for the home office.
A few years ago, Quebec was very attractive to European job seekers. For example, in France, the media often reported on the recruitment efforts invested by the government and companies in Quebec; think more particularly of the health care sector and new technologies. Montreal was often the preferred destination, but the cities of Quebec, Sherbrooke and Gatineau were also among the places of interest.
However, today and exactly like the labor crisis, the housing crisis exists throughout the province. In addition, potential immigrants inform themselves. They consult the local media, read articles and watch reports on the housing shortage and the skyrocketing cost of rent. Those with children also note the shortage of secondary schools and of teachers.
All this creates reluctance and topics of discussion that often come up. Within our company specializing in professional mobility, Anywr Canada, we are seeing a significant increase in withdrawals. Each time, we lose good candidates who have already been met and selected.
As for new talents who have decided to settle in Quebec, the question of housing remains a point of concern. The vast majority of people are disappointed not by the quality, but by the place where they have to stay, because it does not correspond to their hopes. The very limited choice creates a lot of frustration among newcomers.
Break the vicious circle
I share with you a lived reality at Anywr: the people we try to recruit abroad for our own company — also because of the labor shortage — react exactly like those we recruit for our clients. . And it is even more difficult for the very many SMEs in Quebec, which do not have the means to pay higher salaries in the hope of convincing talent to settle here.
It is clear that we must juggle multiple factors in order to attract new workers, factors that all interact with each other and have an overall impact on Quebec’s ability to attract the talent it needs.
I do not claim to know all the solutions; it is a very large and complex situation which practically acts like a vicious circle where each problematic element influences another problematic element. I’m just trying to describe our perspective as experienced talent recruiters.
I want directly affected government and private stakeholders, including recruitment and career mobility agencies such as ours, to come together to forge solutions. A set of action plans, policies and concerted investments will be necessary to stabilize the situation and relaunch Quebec’s economic development at full steam.
Thus, we will all be accommodated at the right address.