OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canada will make it easier for employers in the booming western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia to hire temporary foreign workers in 170 different fields, Ottawa announced last week.The government said it would ease the rules on giving jobs to employees from overseas because firms in the two provinces were "truly having a hard time finding enough workers".

Last year Canada admitted just over 99,000 foreign workers on temporary permits to fill jobs because there were no Canadians or permanent residents available. Most were skilled professionals.

"These new initiatives will assist employers by reducing overall costs and make it two to four weeks faster for employers to hire temporary foreign workers," Human Resources Minister Diane Finley said in a statement.

The jobs include mining, chemical and petroleum engineers, financial auditors, astronomers, ministers of religion, jewellers, doctors, veterinarians, plumbers, builders, archivists, funeral directors, truck drivers, bakers, cleaners and leather cutters.

In order to recruit a foreign worker, an employer has to carry out a lengthy recruiting campaign to ensure there are no Canadians who could do the job.

Under the new rules, employers seeking certain in-demand professions would now only have to advertise for a week.

According to data provided by the Immigration Department, some 73 percent of visa applications from prospective foreign workers are approved or rejected within 28 days.

"Red tape is a major barrier to businesses using the temporary foreign worker program," said Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

"The current system is costly, slow and complicated. This change will allow the immigration system to respond better to the business community's needs," he said in a statement.