How many temporary foreign workers are employed in Canada’s agriculture sector?

Finding enough employees to work on farms is a difficult task. To supplement their workforce, many agricultural operations turn to temporary foreign workers to provide the employees needed at various points of the year. In 2023, the agriculture sector in Canada employed 280,798 people, of which 79,734 or 28% were temporary foreign workers. The reliance on temporary foreign workers to fill labour shortages in the agriculture sector has increased in recent years. Inclusive of 2023, the number of temporary foreign workers employed in the agriculture sector has increased for five consecutive years from 53,605 people in 2019 to 79,734 in 2023. This represents a change in the proportion of temporary foreign workers from 16.2% in 2016 to 28.3% in 2023.

Where do temporary foreign workers come from?

More than half of the temporary foreign workers employed in Canada’s agriculture sector in 2023 are from just two countries — Mexico and Guatemala. Mexico leads the way, with 33,151 workers followed by Guatemala with 20,909. They are followed by Jamaica with 9,905 and India with 3,459. Temporary foreign workers from the Philippines were the fifth-largest group.