*Meat of the Matter* is the first phase of the *Securing Canada’s Meat Workforce* project, focused on analyzing labour market information (LMI) for meat processors in Canada’s remote regions. The report reviews current data, identifies gaps—especially in labour supply—and offers recommendations for future research. While demand for workers in remote areas is somewhat documented, data on workforce supply is lacking. The report draws heavily on eight case studies commissioned by the Canadian Meat Council, covering 14 plants and highlighting recruitment, retention, and HR challenges. These insights were supplemented with plant-level data, census and employment insurance records, and geographic information. A gap analysis was also conducted to guide next steps in improving LMI and supporting the remote meat processing sector.
Canada is a net exporter of meat products ($6.8 billion exported versus $3.8 billion imported in 2014).
Many meat processors say they are unable to meet increased demand because of labour shortfalls and, as a result, have been forced to turn down orders, scale back production, and/or ship meat products abroad to receive value-added cuts elsewhere.
In addition to making efforts to recruit from underrepresented groups in the Canadian labour force (e.g., Indigenous workers, recent immigrants and refugees), much of the Canadian meat processing industry has relied on the work of foreign nationals via the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to fill critical gaps.
