Canada’s Labour Market, Agreement with Optometrists in SK, Global Disengagement Crisis

In this episode: Canada’s latest labour market data, government responses to tariff‑impacted workers in Quebec, declining global employee engagement, and other topics.

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1. Canada added 14,000 jobs in March, marking a modest rebound after job losses in January and February, according to Statistics Canada | Jobs in Canada: StatCan unemployment rate holds steady
2. The federal government and the Government of Quebec have announced a $122.5‑million, three‑year agreement to support workers and businesses affected by global tariffs | Governments of Canada and Quebec reach $122.5-million agreement to support tariff-impacted workers 
3. The Government of Saskatchewan has reached a six‑year agreement with the Saskatchewan Association of Optometrists, securing continued funding and expanded access to publicly funded eye‑care services across the province | Province Reaches Agreement with Saskatchewan Optometrists | News and Media | Government of Saskatchewan 
4. Restaurants Canada is urging provincial governments to urgently opt in to a temporary increase in the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program cap for rural regions | Restaurants Canada calls on provinces to urgently opt-in to temporary TFW cap increase for rural regions - Restaurants Canada 
5. A new survey from Express Employment Professionals finds that employee referrals significantly improve hiring outcomes, yet most Canadians are not using them | Employee Referrals Boost Hiring Odds, But Most Canadians Aren’t Using Them | EEP CA Corporate 
6. Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025, the lowest level since 2020, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report | State of the Global Workplace 2026 | Employee Engagement Data & Trends - Gallup