North American aviation companies get labor relief from foreign workers – at a cost

Aerospace supplier CEO Hugue Meloche spends more than C$10,000 for each skilled foreign worker he brings to his company's Montreal-area factories, but paying those costs is preferable to leaving key positions unfilled while orders boom. As clients like engine maker General Electric boosted production in 2022, the head of Meloche Group hired 20% of its workforce of 500 from countries like Mexico, Tunisia and Brazil to make up for staffing shortfalls. The tight manufacturing labor market, following a wave of retirements during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has led North American aircraft repair shops and suppliers, especially in Canada, to recruit a small but growing number of workers from abroad.