My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Every day in Ontario, jobs go unfilled because of a shortage of workers. One senior economist recently said, “There’s a traffic jam of employers looking to hire.”

Information from Statistics Canada shows record-high job vacancy numbers and an unprecedented labour force participation rate.

To combat the labour shortage and maintain Ontario’s economic competitive position within the global market, we need more skilled workers than ever before.

Can the minister please explain how our government is addressing our labour shortage needs?

It’s also necessary to highlight that our government must consider the importance of where newcomers settle and build their lives in Ontario. Urgent labour demands are present across our province, including regions outside major cities.

Can the minister please elaborate on how our government will ensure that communities in need have the ability to fill critical labour shortages?

In my riding, I see first-hand how harmful Ontario’s labour shortage truly is for small businesses. Employers and businesses want to do more, but simply cannot because of the limited supply of workers. The skilled and semi-skilled labour shortage remains one of the main factors limiting business growth. Jobs are waiting to be filled and paycheques are waiting to be collected.

Speaker, my question is straightforward: Will the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development please explain to this Legislature what our government is doing to address Ontario’s historic labour shortage issue?