Constructing Low-Skilled Occupations: Migrant Work Within a Classified Occupational System

Through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), labour shortages in caregiving and agriculture have been managed steadily. Some occupations in these areas are deemed low-skilled. The goal of this study was to understand the role of the occupational classification in relation to the TFWP low-skilled occupations, and how the construction of work influences occupations. Through the lens of critical discourse analysis (CDA) on both the TFWP electronic guidelines for agriculture and caregivers and the National Occupational Classification (NOC) profile for selected codes, inconsistencies and asymmetrical practices were uncovered. The results demonstrate that “temporary” “foreign” workers are seen as migrant and foreign, but not as workers.