The number of Jamaicans who travelled to Canada as part of the overseas employment program in 2023 declined by five per cent, as negative publicity surrounding the farm work program continued.
The number of Jamaicans employed in the Canadian Farm and Factory program decreased from from 9,435 to 8,961 persons.
The figures were contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2023 report, which said that several factors contributed to the decline, including inclement weather that damaged crops and led to the cancellation of “worker orders” by employers.
Further, the report said negative publicity surrounding the program’s working conditions may have deterred potential participants, further affecting the overall participation numbers.
Yesterday, Canada-based Injured Workers Action for Justice (IWAJ), in response to the report, stated: “The migrant farmworkers participating in the farm work programs have shared their own experiences and perspectives. These include poor living and working conditions, abuse and harassment from employers, injuries and deaths, lack of proper healthcare, and retaliation against workers who speak up about problems. These injured migrant farmworkers have been speaking out about their real, lived experiences, not just ‘negative publicity’.”
In 2022 farm workers on the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program in Canada reported that they were being made to work under poor conditions.
The local independent fact-finding team, appointed to investigate the working conditions, has found that most of the Jamaican employees are satisfied with their working and living conditions.
Conversely, the number of participants in the US Farm Work Program grew by 4.6 per cent to 4,306 Jamaicans due to a 4.8 per cent increase in male participants in this program.
The report said the increase in the number of participants in the US Farm Program could be a result of the ministry’s initiative to partner with more recruitment agents in late 2022.
The overseas employment program is the primary labor-migration initiative of the Jamaican Government. It places qualified Jamaicans in employment in the United States and Canada.
