Half of Quebec’s SMEs must face the massive labor shortage affecting the province that has become a major obstacle to its economic recovery at the dawn of disintegration, according to a study by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) released Tuesday.

Nearly 63% of SME owners surveyed said they had difficulty finding qualified candidates for full-time positions.

We have warned that the problems related to labor shortages will only become more serious as we return to normal. We are there. Through a press release, Francois Vincent, Quebec Vice President at CFIB, announced positions that could multiply while nominations are rare.

Catering is one of those sectors that are greatly affected by a shortage of manpower, just like manufacturing, services, or even construction.

The vast majority (67%) of these companies want to find employees or production occupations. Technical or administrative personnel (38%), sales personnel (33%), and other professionals (22%) are also sought after.

However, several factors may explain this shortage, such as the difficulty of SMEs meeting candidates’ expectations, competition from the largest companies and labor shortages in the regions.

“The government should reduce barriers in terms of skills and the number of candidates available, and give small businesses the means to attract the talent needed for their growth,” Vincent said.

In particular, the CFIB suggested that Quebec take action on immigration in order to attract new talent to the province, but also to reduce the tax burden on SMEs.

The CFIB survey was conducted online among 736 members between April 8 and April 30.