Media Advisory - Labour shortages - New data and Twitter chat with Minister of Employment - tomorrow 2-2:45 pm EST

TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2013 /CNW/ - Minister of Employment and Social Development Jason Kenney will join CFIB president Dan Kelly and VP and Chief Economist Ted Mallett tomorrow for a Twitter chat on labour shortages and what the federal government is doing to address them. CFIB will release its latest job vacancy numbers from across the country earlier in the day.

Canadians are encouraged to join the conversation on Twitter, from 2-2:45 pm EST, by submitting their questions and comments, using the hashtag #CDNjobchat.

"We are excited to invite Canadians to engage with the government in a conversation that has huge implications for us all," said CFIB president Dan Kelly. "Many Canadians remain out of work. We have hundreds of thousands of unfilled jobs in smaller firms at the same time. We need to start talking about how to bridge that gap."

The federal government's proposed Canada Job Grant holds some potential, and will be discussed in the chat.

CFIB is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members across every sector and region.

SOURCE: Canadian Federation of Independent Business

To arrange an interview with Dan Kelly or Ted Mallett, please call Gisele Lumsden at 416-222-8022 or via email at [email protected]  

To arrange an interview in French with Martine Hébert please contact Caroline Emmanuel at 514 861-3234 or 514 817-0228 (cell).