Immigration

Quebec restaurant labor shortage 2026: What adapted quickly

Two cooks call in sick. Your AGM starts running food. Another Monday goes dark. That is the lived reality of the Quebec restaurant labor shortage 2026, and it is not a blip you can bridge with one more “Help Wanted” sign. Federal intake caps pulled labor out of the pipeline while Quebec’s language rules narrowed who can legally fill your shifts. The operators who are staying open have stopped chasing headcount and started redesigning how work happens. Between 2024 and 2026 the federal governmen