Tim Hortons to hire 10,000 locally, reduce foreign workers

Tim Hortons has announced a national hiring campaign to recruit 10,000 local employees while scaling back its use of the Temporary Foreign Worker program. The move coincides with a significant expansion plan that includes opening 80 new restaurants and renovating 400 existing locations across Canada this year.

The company stated that its reliance on temporary foreign workers has already declined by roughly 50 percent since 2024. Officials said that of its approximately 110,000 employees, about 4,000, or less than four percent, were hired through the foreign worker program. They attributed the past use of the program to acute labor shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have since eased. A company representative said that with high national youth unemployment, lobbying the government for expanded access to the program is no longer necessary.

The announcement comes as youth unemployment rose above 14 percent in April. While the hiring push could create more opportunities for younger Canadians, some economists caution it will not substantially address the broader issue. Moshe Lander, an economics professor at Concordia University, said the 10,000 jobs represent only a small...