The Federal Government says the country has recovered 115% of the jobs lost during the pandemic. And in recent months, many businesses in the region have been facing a shortage of workers. It's affecting food service, retail and even transportation and construction industries. Carla Qualtrough is the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. She recently was in the region to announce a program to help hire 5,200 first year apprentices for the trades, and another to help underemployed and underrepresented people upgrade their skills. In this conversation, the Minister speaks to the need for more immigration, the effect of legislated paid sick days and the journey towards pay equity in Canada. She also comments on a recent verbal attack against Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and the troubling trend of people being aggressive and personally threatening towards politicians.
