Look: Map of B.C. businesses employing temporary foreign workers
A new website has mapped out the location of businesses in British Columbia that employ temporary foreign workers.
The site has gone viral since going live on April 30. According to map creator Rohana Rezel, the data comes from the federal Human Resources and Skills Development ministry through an access to information request – though it only tracks businesses that successfully applied to the program up until the end of 2012.
The data points to a majority of the temporary foreign workers being employed in the three major areas; Surrey, Richmond and Downtown Vancouver. This seemingly goes against claims that the program is aiding in recruiting for companies in rural or remote areas.
The food service sector received the largest amount of temporary workers with nearly 21% of authorizations going to restaurants, pubs or fast food franchises. Everything from Megabite Pizza and Waves Coffee to Dead Frog Brewery and Doolin’s Irish Pub received approvals.
Only B.C. and Alberta have been mapped so far but Rezel says maps for other provinces will be produced once he gets access to the information.
A moratorium on the food services sector was announced last month after the Temporary Foreign Worker program made headlines over workers hired at a McDonald’s in Victoria.
Ottawa has also announced a blacklist for non-compliant employers and removed a “wage flexibility” clause that allowed employers to pay temporary foreign workers up to 15 per cent less than the standard wage. They also suspended an accelerated process for authorizations that was introduced in 2012.
For a list of B.C. employers that have hired temporary foreign workers, click here.
Featured Image: Google Maps
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