Fake job ads leave Canadians stranded

Fake job postings are making life difficult for potential employees who have been moving to Jasper in search of work.

In a pattern that’s been getting worse over the last month, the Jasper Employment Centre has had a number of clients come in who have seen job ads online and come from all over Canada to Jasper to apply for them. “Then they get here and go to apply for the positions and told there are no jobs available,” said Erin Bronskill of the employment centre.

After doing some research, Bronskill has learned that the employers may be trying to apply for Labour Market Opinions, one of the requirements that Citizen and Immigration Canada considers when deciding to give a work permit to a foreign worker.

“These businesses have to be able to prove they can’t hire Canadian workers,” Bronskill said. “They have to prove that by placing an ad for about two weeks, and then be unable to hire Canadian workers.”

Though there are Canadians willing to come to Jasper to work, some employers prefer foreign workers. “Jasper is a very seasonal place to come, a lot of people either come for the winter or summer,” Bronskill said. “When temporary foreign workers come, they’re usually here for a year.”

The employment centre sent an email to local employers about the job ads. “I sent the message out to all of the businesses in town to make them aware these ads are reaching quite far and they’re confusing a lot of people,” Bronskill said.

Her advice to employers is they should list a future start date in their advertisements. “They can still place the ads because it’s understandable that they do need to place them to prove they need the foreign worker,” she said.

“But if the job said it didn’t start until later on in the season then they’re going to wait or they’ll send their resume from wherever they are and get turned down from there,” Bronskill said.

What makes the situation more difficult is the ads all say accommodation is available, because accommodation must be provided for foreign workers. “A lot of people are thinking that they’re doing their research and they’re coming out and having a job with accommodation,” Bronskill said.

“And they are unable to find a place to live and a lot of people are spending most of their money to get to Jasper and they’re unable to leave once they get here because they cannot afford it.”

Though what the businesses are doing isn’t illegal, those who want to report a business for advertising non-existent jobs can fax a formal complaint to Service Canada at 780-495-2738, attention: consultant.

At the employment centre, Bronskill and her colleagues are referring these people to other community organizations such as the food bank or Community and Family Services.

“They may pay for a bus ticket to leave town and go somewhere where there is something like a shelter to help them out and maybe a few more jobs, and that’s really all we can do,” she said. “There’s not a lot of jobs available right now.”

Those with questions about the foreign worker program can visit the Jasper Employment Centre at 622C Connaught Dr. “All of our services are free, and we have lots of resources available,” Bronskill added.