Employment and Social Development Canada - Departmental Plan for 2021 to 2022

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

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From the Ministers

We are pleased to present the 2021 to 2022 Departmental Plan for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). This report outlines the initiatives the Department plans to undertake this fiscal year to increase Canadians’ economic and social security.

Reaching all Canadians and ensuring they have access to critical supports has always been our priority. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. In April 2020, 5.5 million Canadians either lost their jobs or had their hours severely reduced. Employment rates went from a record high to a record low in a matter of weeks. Among those disproportionately affected were women, young people, Indigenous people, racialized Canadians and persons with disabilities.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has moved quickly to support Canadians and the Canadian economy. A keystone piece of that support was the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. This benefit became a lifeline for the many who suddenly found themselves out of work. Almost 8.5 million Canadians received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, totalling over $74 billion in payments.

The pandemic has demonstrated that Canada needs a more flexible and accessible Employment Insurance system. A system that includes the self-employed and others who lack the security and benefits of full-time employment. Over a short period, the Government of Canada was able to implement 3 new recovery benefits, the Canada Recovery Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, and simplify the Employment Insurance program. This ensured support was available to millions of Canadians during this challenging time.

The Government of Canada also took significant and decisive action to support Canadians facing hardship because of the pandemic. School closures prevented many parents from working, and the necessity for remote learning created additional expenses. The Department reacted quickly and provided one-time payments to over 3.7 million families through existing programs such as the Canada Child Benefit. In order to provide immediate relief for families with young children, the Government has committed to introducing temporary additional support totalling up to $1,200 in 2021 for each child under the age of 6 for low- and middle-income families who are entitled to the Canada Child Benefit.

We will continue to do whatever it takes to support Canadian families and rebuild a stronger workforce. For many Canadians accessible, high-quality, affordable and inclusive child care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Not only will it help families individually, but by increasing women’s participation in the labour force, it will help grow the economy. Our investments through bilateral agreements on early learning and child care with provinces and territories created over 40,000 new affordable child care spaces across the country. Additional funding announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement will continue this support, as the Department will lay the groundwork for a Canada-wide early learning and child care system.

We will work with provinces and territories to have in place renewed bilateral agreements for federal funding for early learning and child care, investments that have enhanced fee subsidies for families across Canada and created new quality, affordable spaces. These significant investments will sustain the progress already made so far. We know that the valuable work of early childhood educators is key to the success of a high-quality child care system in Canada. This is why, the Government will invest $420 million in new support for the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators and to engage on future sustained investments in support of an Early Childhood Educator Workforce Strategy.

This work will be supported through the creation of a federal secretariat on early learning and child care. The Government of Canada will invest $4.3 million per year to build capacity within the government and engage stakeholders to provide child care policy analysis in support of a Canada-wide system. We will also continue to work in partnership with Indigenous leadership and communities and support building Indigenous governance capacity and Indigenous early learning and child care programming.

In order to build back better and create a stronger and more resilient Canada, we must keep creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, and helping people working hard to join it. We have an opportunity not just to support Canadians, but also to grow their potential. The Government will launch a campaign to create over one million jobs, restoring employment to previous levels and include measures that promote good, full-time, middle-class jobs that bring Canadians back into the workforce.

Many young people continue to struggle financially due to a loss of income caused by the pandemic. To assist them, the Department will help ease financial pressure on students by eliminating interest on repayment of the federal portion of Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans for 2021 to 2022. We will also create jobs by significantly scaling up the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, providing more paid work experiences for young Canadians.

We will continue work on our Budget 2019 commitment to develop a new apprenticeship strategy. The new strategy will make sure that existing supports and programs remove barriers faced by Canadians who want to work in the skilled trades, and support employers facing challenges in hiring and retaining apprentices. Workforce development agreements and labour market development agreements with provinces and territories will provide workers and employers with skills training and employment supports to prepare for, find, advance in, and keep jobs. This will also ensure Canada has a skilled workforce that can meet the current and emerging needs of employers.

This year, the Department will undertake several initiatives to support safe and healthy workplaces in the federal jurisdiction. We will work to make mental health a specific element of occupational health and safety through policy measures and sharing best practices and tools. In addition, we will implement proactive pay equity and pay transparency regimes, and launch a review of the Employment Equity Act. These initiatives will help create more equitable, diverse and inclusive workplaces where workers can make the most of their skills and experience. This is good for workers, their families and the Canadian economy. Improving service to Canadian workers is at the heart of the Program’s activities and, among other new initiatives, the Labour Program’s innovation unit will be piloting a program to provide machine readable code of the hours of work regulations to improve efficiency for time management in the trucking industry.

All Canadians should have the care they need, when they need it. The pandemic made it difficult for Canadians belonging to marginalized groups to access support from community organizations when they needed it the most. We will continue to support communities and not-for-profit organizations through programs such as the Social Development Partnerships Program.

COVID-19 exposed inequalities and discrimination across Canadian society. As we rebuild the economy, we must guarantee all Canadians have the same opportunities to succeed in life. We want to ensure the economy that emerges from this pandemic is more inclusive and brings a better future for all Canadians. To do this, the Department will develop the new Disability Inclusion Action Plan to improve financial security, develop better processes to determine eligibility for Government programs and benefits, and create a robust employment strategy for persons with disabilities. The Government will also boost funding for programs such as the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program, the Foreign Credential Recognition Program and the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities.

The pandemic has been especially tough on seniors and persons with disabilities, highlighting the critical need for additional workers in long-term care facilities, home care and assisted living services. Through a new accelerated online training and work placement project, up to 4,000 new personal support worker interns will be recruited. These new interns will provide much-needed support to long-term care staff while receiving on-the-job training.

Initiatives like the New Horizons for Seniors Program allow the Department to provide funding to community-based organizations that help improve seniors’ quality of life and reduce isolation. The government remains committed to increasing Old Age Security for seniors aged age 75 and up to help strengthen their financial security.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, over $400 million in additional funding was announced to the homeless-serving sector through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy to support those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. One Canadian experiencing homelessness is one too many. In November 2020, the Fall Economic Statement announced an additional $299.4 million for Reaching Home for 2021–22. These additional investments give communities flexibility in order to maintain services to prevent and reduce homelessness. As stated in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, the Department will focus efforts on eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada. This will build on our goal to ensure every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home by: helping those in immediate need; advancing the ongoing implementation of Opportunity for All – Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy; and helping to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to end poverty by 2030.

Our dedicated public servants continue to show their commitment to helping Canadians any time, anywhere. When the pandemic forced Service Canada Centres to close, we increased the number of call centre agents, simplified applications for certain benefits and increased security to safeguard private information. We also made it easier for Canadians to access services online. As the Department continues to improve accessibility standards and client experience, both online and in-person, and to modernize the way it delivers benefits, our focus will remain on supporting all Canadians, making sure no one is left behind.

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough.

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen.

Minister of Labour, Filomena Tassi.

Minister of Seniors, Deb Schulte.

Plans at a glance

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) will help build a stronger and more inclusive Canada. We will continue to focus on programs and planned activities that work to improve the standard of living and the quality of life for all Canadians. This includes working to increase accessibility and to remove and prevent barriers faced by persons with disabilities. It also includes promoting a labour force that is highly skilled.

The department will continue to support Canadians as they experience the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include helping to protect Canadians’ well-being and providing them with access to important services during the pandemic. The department will continue to deliver major income support to Canadians who are out of work, or unable to work. Some of these programs include the Canada Recovery Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit.

The department will deliver programs and services that support Canadians in various stages of life in fiscal year 2021 to 2022. ESDC’s planned initiatives will include more help to prevent and reduce homelessness, greater investment in early learning and childcare, income security for seniors, and support for community development and social and economic inclusion of marginalized populations.

In addition, the department will continue to support Canadians during times of unemployment. It will also help students finance their post-secondary education.

The Labour Program will help foster safe, healthy, fair and inclusive workplaces through legislative and regulatory reforms that protect employees and support employers.

Service Canada will focus on ensuring that Canadians have a reliable, single point of access to some of the government’s most important programs and services. These include Employment Insurance, the Social Insurance Number, Passports, Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan.

The department will continue to experiment with innovative ways to address policy, program, and service delivery challenges. The ESDC Innovation Lab will support all areas of the department to pilot and test new ways of delivering services and benefits to Canadians.

Operating context

Economic and social impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to shape the department’s operations and its strategies. The pandemic has had a large impact on Canada and the world since March 2020. This is expected to continue into fiscal year 2021 to 2022. Impacts on the economy could increase if Canadians’ activities are limited because of more infections and the need for restrictive public health measures. Canadians will need continued support if they lose their jobs or have reduced work hours due to the pandemic.

Canada’s real Gross Domestic Product, which had been growing in the years before the pandemic, declined at a yearly rate of almost 40% in the second quarter of 2020. Unemployment rose from 5.6% in February 2020 to a high of 13.7% in May 2020 before it, began to decline. Unemployment is expected to remain high, and hours worked low, until at least the end of the pandemic. Economic activity may not return to its pre-pandemic level until well into 2021 or possibly beyond.

Economic impacts have been unevenly distributed. Those most affected have tended to be members of specific groups that have long experienced poorer than average employment outcomes. This included:

  • youth
  • women
  • Indigenous people
  • persons with disabilities
  • persons with low educational attainment
  • visible minority groups and recent immigrants

The department’s programs will support these groups and help them improve their labour market outcomes.

As devastating as the short-and medium-term impacts of the pandemic have been, its longer-term impacts on the labour market are unclear. Before the pandemic, labour markets were tight, meaning that some employers had a hard time finding workers to fill certain jobs. The pandemic has changed the way many Canadians perform their jobs. For example, some businesses catered specifically to office workers and business travellers. Demand for these services may never return if telework and teleconferencing remain widespread and permanent. These jobs, and likely others, may be replaced by new ones. The new jobs may be at different locations or require higher skills levels. This makes labour market adjustment more difficult and increases the need for retraining and upskilling.

Acknowledging that the pandemic touches all aspects of our mandate, the department will need to develop policy options based on strong data. The department will ensure that the right processes are in place to support the research and analysis needed to respond to social and labour market needs. This will let us make sure our policies respond to the needs of Canadians.

In 2021 to 2022, the department will continue to support Canada’s implementation of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will work in close collaboration with all other departments. The 2030 Agenda will guide the department’s targeted efforts to help the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in Canada.

Canadians expect reliable, high-quality, easy-to-access, simple, and secure services when accessing government programs and supports. The department played a critical role in providing services to Canadians during the pandemic. It will continue to do so in fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

The department’s service and benefit delivery model uses a variety of ways to serve Canadians. This includes digital services, the web, call centres, and in-person services to ensure the reliability and reach of its network. The department will continue to invest in service delivery. This will ensure that Canadians, including the most vulnerable, are aware of and have access to the benefits to which they are entitled. Trust is a key component of this. Safeguarding Canadians’ personal information and ensuring the integrity of our programs will remain a top priority.

Response to COVID-19

In March 2020, the department began to put in place measures to support Canada’s whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic will continue to impact the department’s plans and operations in fiscal year 2021 to 2022. The department expects that it may need to adjust its planned activities and spending throughout fiscal year 2021 to 2022 as the public health situation evolves to ensure that Canadians continue to receive the supports, benefits and services they need to get through the pandemic.

Below is an overview of how the department will continue to support the government response to the pandemic in fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

Adjustments to existing programing

The department is working hard to adjust its programming to meet the needs of Canadians as the impacts of the pandemic evolve. It is taking measures to enhance supports to Canadians, and to deliver services as quickly as possible.

For example, funding provided through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, will better meet community needs so Canadians can continue to receive essential services. Communities will have flexibility in how they use funding. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, communities can use funding to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as required, including to:

  • maintain and expand the emergency response of communities
  • provide the flexibility to deliver permanent housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness
  • prevent further inflows into homelessness

A new assessment process for the Enabling Accessibility Fund gets funding to organizations faster to make Canadian communities more accessible for persons with disabilities.

The department will issue its third batch of one-time, tax-free and non-reportable payments of up to $600, to support Canadians with disabilities in recognition of extraordinary expenses incurred during the pandemic.

In addition, changes to the public pension programs are making it easier for pension beneficiaries to access their benefits. They are also reducing barriers to access caused by the pandemic. The department will ensure that interim process improvements that provided continued payments to millions of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) recipients continue. For example, the department is exploring which measures, such as eliminating the need for a wet signature and waiving the need for some documents, can be adopted on a permanent basis as part of its continued efforts to modernize program delivery.

To better connect Canadians with job opportunities during the pandemic, the Job Bank’s national COVID-19 resource page will remain up-to-date. It will provide information about current labour market changes, labour shortages, and government services and initiatives.

Finally, the department will also work with federally regulated employers and workers to deliver essential services to Canadians safely and efficiently. The department will hire, train and deploy additional staff to support federally-regulated employers. This will ensure employers are provided with the guidance and support needed to re-open safely.

Adjustments to service delivery

The department will make continuous adjustments to its service delivery, to ensure Canadians receive the support they need throughout the pandemic and into recovery.

In fiscal year 2020 to 2021, Employment Insurance (EI) Call Centres increased call handling capacity from 1,100 to 3,000 agents. This was done to better serve Canadians by answering more calls and reducing wait times. This increased capacity will be maintained to ensure that Canadians continue to receive timely access to knowledgeable EI call centre staff.

The department will also explore adding new features to enhance the client experience. This will include extended hours of operation, new call and screen recordings, and better sorting and directing of calls.

In addition, the department will also improve the client experience by ensuring that call agents have the skills they need. All agents will receive crisis intervention training, to better support Canadians going through a tough time.

Canadians will also be able to continue using the new eServiceCanada service delivery tool. This tool allows clients to request assistance online, and then be contacted by a Citizen Service Officer within 2 business days. This will help improve their access to government services. The department will also continue to work with community partners to identify individuals unable to access eServiceCanada. This will ensure alternate mechanisms are in place to provide them with assistance.

The department will continue to provide an online tool to enable Health Canada to obtain feedback from the public to enhance the COVID-19 website in line with client needs. It will also maintain the online tool to provide COVID-19 counts of cases and deaths by province. Content will be updated in real time on Canada.ca. Information on exposure during travel by airplane, cruise ship or train will also be provided.

Updating and maintaining information resources for Canadians about all things related to COVID-19 will continue in fiscal year 2021 to 2022. This includes:

  • the Canada/coronavirus website
  • the Government of Canada’s coronavirus information line
  • the Canada Emergency Response Benefit website with CRA
  • social media presence to increase awareness
  • a virtual assistance tool on federal and provincial websites to help Canadians find COVID-19 information fast. This includes the COVID Finder pilot that askes users to complete a short questionnaire and then guides them to programs that meet their needs

The department will continue to work with the Canada Revenue Agency to deliver temporary recovery benefits to Canadians who are affected by the pandemic. These benefits include:

  • the Canada Recovery Benefit
  • the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit
  • the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit

The new online application for the Social Insurance Number will continue. Clients will have their choice of how they apply for or make change to their Social Insurance Number record, online, by mail or in person at a Service Canada Centre.

Finally, the department’s Innovation Lab will explore how the department can continue to respond effectively to the challenges of the pandemic.

The long-term economic and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 in Canada remain to be seen. As the pandemic evolves, the department will continue to focus on supporting Canadians and ensuring access to accurate government information and services that meet their needs.

Service excellence

The department will continue to advance its ambitious service agenda and remains committed to improving services to Canadians. In doing so, it will continue to ensure that Canadians receive high quality, timely and accessible services. The department’s planned efforts can be grouped into the following 3 main areas:

1. Technology and systems modernization

Canadians expect government services to be reliable, accurate, secure, and increasingly offered online. In addition, services must be flexible enough to quickly adapt to changes when necessary. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated the importance of modern technology and the flexibility it offers. It has also highlighted the need for continued transformation and investments in service infrastructure.

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will make a number of advancements to achieve concrete results including:

  • Continued transformation of the Information Technology (IT) systems that deliver the department’s core statutory programs. This will be done through the Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme. The department will begin to implement the first set of projects. It will lay the foundation for core technology replacement and introduce a new identity management solution.
  • Migrating the OAS platform to a more modern platform which will undergo readiness testing to make sure it works before it is used to deliver benefits.
  • As stated in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, the Government will make generational investments in updating IT systems to modernize the way that Government serves Canadians, from the elderly to the young, from people looking for work to those living with a disability.
  • Continuing to expand Digital Identity Projects. These projects will provide citizens with immediate and secure access to online services and programs. The department will also work with other parts of the federal government to promote consistent, secure digital identity services for citizens
  • Increasing the number of grants and contributions programs that include the option to submit funding applications online. The department will also simplify the steps that applicants need to take when applying online. This will make the process easier for them
  • Continuing to modernize Call Centres. More services will be integrated to the Hosted Contact Centre Solution – a new, more flexible approach to managing call centres. This includes the Social Insurance Number Call Centre, the Registration and Authentication Call Centre and the Regional Enquiries Units call centres. In addition, the department will undertake the following to modernize services provided by the EI, CPP and OAS, and Employer Contact Centre call centres:
    • review its services for the deaf and hard of hearing. This will inform improvements in the technology and processes for these clients
    • explore new functionalities, such as speech analytics, to optimize the client experience
  • Exploring ways to replace the Social Insurance Register to effectively meet service demands associated with Social Insurance Numbers

2. Improving the client service experience and outcomes

As a citizen-centred organization, the department plans to achieve tangible improvements to the quality of services provided to Canadians. Some examples include:

  • Continuing to strengthen partnerships with federal institutions, provinces, territories, municipalities and specified Indigenous organizations. This will help to better integrate and improve services to Canadians
  • Taking actions to increase clarity of information and the ability of applicants to grant and contribution programs to plan ahead. This includes:
    • Implementing a new service standard to inform clients of how long it takes to receive a funding decision
    • Reducing the time to deliver funding decisions for some programs
    • Publishing an annual calendar for program intakes on the department’s website
    • Developing and implementing an online service where Canadians can subscribe to information emails on upcoming funding intakes
  • Administrating a client satisfaction survey to collect information on applicants’ experiences with grants and contributions programs. The results of the survey will inform future improvements to tools, products, and services
  • Continuing to work with key stakeholders to improve service and advance the implementation of the Social Security Tribunal reforms. These reforms will make the recourse processes for EI, the CPP, CPP - Disability, and OAS quicker and easier for Canadians to navigate
  • Modernizing CPP service delivery through the CPP Service Improvement Strategy. The department will continue to make improvements to provide high quality, easy-to-access, simple and secure electronic services that respond to the needs and expectations of clients

3. Ensuring no one is left behind

The department recognizes that government services must be available to everyone, especially to vulnerable Canadians. The department will undertake several measures and initiatives to strengthen accessibility of its services to vulnerable populations. This includes:

  • Increasing the availability of sign language interpretation through videoconferencing. This will improve service delivery to the deaf community
  • Continuing to develop and implement a multi-year plan to increase the accessibility of web pages, tools, and guidance documents for grants and contributions programs. This aligns with the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act
  • Renewing efforts to ensure that service delivery reaches all Canadians and to increase the take up of benefits, particularly among those in need

Fall Economic Statement 2020

Proposed investments from the Fall Economic Statement, released in November 2020, also support service excellence:

  • Proposed funding for Employment and Social Development Canada to support frontline service delivery, including through the safe reopening of in-person Service Canada Centres. Funding will support delivery of Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, including Work-Sharing Benefits ($31 million)
  • Improving Our Ability to Reach All Canadians: Proposed funding to Employment and Social Development Canada to help address workload pressures caused by COVID-19 and provide sustainable funding for 1-800 O-Canada and Canada.ca, and to help reduce barriers in accessing government services and benefits in northern and remote communities ($32 million and $16 million ongoing)

Service Canada regional service delivery

Service Canada regions support key government commitments and respond to the unique service delivery needs of citizens in the areas they serve. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, Service Canada regions will continue to deliver services that reflect the changing needs of clients. Traditionally, Service Canada regional offices pilot new approaches to test initiatives locally before they implement them across the national network.

This year, Service Canada will pursue the following initiatives in each region:

Western Canada and Territories

  • Implement a pilot project that allows certain applicants in northern communities to apply for the New Horizons for Seniors Program orally. This will increase access to program funding for many Indigenous communities in rural, isolated and remote communities. Many of these communities have significant barriers to internet connectivity as well as language barriers
  • Identify gaps in service for Indigenous, rural and remote communities. The department will use this information to deliver online outreach services in partnership with Indigenous communities, Canada Revenue Agency and community partners. This will increase access to federal benefits

Ontario Region

  • Lead the Service Canada of the Future vision to incorporate new ways of working and new delivery partnerships informed by client and employee experience and influenced by lessons learned. It includes Service Canada Live video chat service to offer virtual appointments to assist Canadians who have difficulty accessing in-person services. The Joint Rapid Response Live will continue to support employers and workers affected by community emergency situations, by helping Canadians access employment supports or gain employment
  • The Major Employer and Union Service Strategy will streamline and standardize program and service delivery to large employers and unions. This includes providing consistent, tailored, and sector-specific information to all workers within an industry. It will proactively promote Service Canada programs and services through community outreach

Quebec Region

  • The Quebec Region developed a pilot project aimed at providing virtual services to Indigenous communities. The project will be run in collaboration with the Kativik Regional Government and the Canada Revenue Agency. As part of the project, remote interviews will be conducted with Indigenous clients in their own language. The region plans to offer this project to 56 Indigenous communities in the Quebec region by April 2021.
  • In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the region will improve coordinated access to all programs and services for citizens, employers and other organizations. To do this, the region will promote better information sharing with partners and link common activities and priorities, to make access simpler and clearer.

Atlantic Region

  • Continue to update and add to the GCcollab Atlantic Labour Market Information Platform. This platform provides information about the local economy, which allows partners and clients to make important business decisions.
  • Improve services for clients by cross-training a group of pensions employees in call centres and processing. Using a Service Delivery Hub model, agents will be assigned where needed to meet peak demands, which will help reduce wait times.

For more information on Employment and Social Development Canada’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Core responsibilities: planned results and resources” section of this report.

Core responsibilities: planned results and resources

This section contains detailed information on the department’s planned results and resources for each of its core responsibilities.

Social development

Description

To increase inclusion and opportunities for Canadians to participate in their communities.

Planning highlights

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will undertake the following activities to advance this core responsibility.

Increase access to early learning and childcare

Through its Early Learning and Child Care program the department will continue to support children and families with access to high quality, affordable, and inclusive child care across the country. This includes implementing key early learning and childcare investments announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement. (More details are outlined below in the Fall Economic Statement 2020 box). This will help lay the groundwork for a Canada-wide child-care system in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples and that includes enhanced support for before and after-school care for older children. Moving forward, the department will continue to advance work on these commitments.

As part of these commitments, the department will continue to advance the goals of the co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework in partnerships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation governments and organizations. Priorities will be Indigenous-led with a focus on culturally-relevant programs and services supported by strong partnerships and governance in early learning and child care.

Remove and prevent barriers faced by people with disabilities

The department will continue to lead work to support the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act. This will be done through the Accessible Canada initiative, a key part of supporting implementation of the Accessible Canada Act. The department will work to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility faced by persons with disabilities. The department aims to publish regulations for planning and reporting requirements, and administrative monetary penalties. It will work with partners to ensure alignment across regulatory regimes.

In addition, the department will continue to support a number of Indigenous organizations to engage their communities on the potential tailoring of the application of the Accessible Canada Act to First Nations band councils. Final reports from these organizations are expected in fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

The department will also lead the development of an Accessibility Data and Measurement Strategy. This will be done in collaboration with Statistics Canada and other federal partners. The collection of data and performance information will help identify progress toward the Accessible Canada Act’s 2040 goal of a barrier-free Canada.

The department will also provide support for the appointment of the Accessibility Commissioner, responsible for compliance and enforcement of the Act, and the Chief Accessibility Officer, a special advisor to the Minister.

In addition, the department will promote culture change among Canadians by raising awareness, and changing attitudes and behaviours towards of accessibility and inclusion. This will be done through the celebration of the National AccessAbility Week , and the development of a national culture change strategy on accessibility.

The department will remove barriers faced by persons with disabilities through the Enabling Accessibility Fund. This will include continued support for small and mid-sized capital projects that increase accessibility in community spaces and workplaces. Modernization efforts, including the implementation of a flat rate costing model, will continue. The flat rate costing model will replace the need for applicants to provide construction quotes for certain activities. This will make it easier for applicants to provide budget information for requested projects. This will improve the client experience, increase efficiency, and ensure consistent delivery of the program.

In addition the department will continue to work to empower youth through the Youth Innovation component of the program. Since the introduction of this component in 2017, every year there has been an increase in the number of applications that the department receives. There has also been an increase in the number of projects approved and funded. The goal is to encourage youth to collaborate with local organizations to develop solutions that increase accessibility for persons with disabilities.

The department will take the lead in supporting the 2020 Speech from the Throne included the commitment to develop a Disability Inclusion Plan, which will include:

  • A new Canada Disability Benefit modelled after the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors. This will improve the financial security of working age Canadians with disabilities
  • Development of a robust employment strategy for Canadians with disabilities
  • Development of a better process to determine eligibility for government disability programs and benefits. This will make it easier for persons with disabilities to access the benefits to which they are entitled
Homelessness is prevented and reduced

The department will continue to work to reduce and prevent homelessness through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. The department will provide grants and contributions amounting to $215 million in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 directly to municipalities and local service providers. This will be done through the Designated Communities, Indigenous Homelessness, Rural and Remote Homelessness, and Territorial Homelessness streams. The goal is to help those experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness access safe, stable, and secure housing.

The department will encourage communities to develop homelessness responses that make effective use of local data. This will be supported through the following:

  • targeted Community Capacity and Innovation supports
  • a nationally led point-in-time count of homelessness
  • provision of a homelessness management information system, the Homeless Individuals and families Information System. This system enables local data collection and data sharing between service providers. This allows communities to prioritize services to the most vulnerable

Beginning in fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department is requiring communities to publicly report on progress made in preventing and reducing homelessness. This includes reductions in chronic homelessness.

The 2020 Speech from the Throne included the commitment to entirely eliminate chronic homelessness in Canada by building on progress since the launch of the National Housing Strategy.

The department will work to reduce poverty through continued implementation of Opportunity for All: Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy. It will continue to make improvements to the measurement of poverty through the Data and Measurement Plan. It will work collaboratively with Statistics Canada and territorial governments to identify a basket of goods and services for each territory. That will ensure that Canada’s Official Poverty Line is set using regional context.

The department will continue to work with National Indigenous Organizations to identify and co-develop indicators of poverty and well-being. These indicators will reflect multiple aspects of poverty and well-being experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Enhanced capacity to address social issues

The department will continue to support social purpose organizations, including charities, not-for-profits organizations, co-operatives and for-profit social enterprises to enhance their capacity to address social issues. Through the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy the department will establish the new Social Innovation Advisory Council and put in place a new Social Finance Fund. The Fund will increase social purpose organizations’ access to flexible and affordable financing. The Social Finance Fund will invest up to $755 million over 9 years in professional investment managers, who will manage this fund through intermediaries, alongside private sector investors. A competitive process to select professional investment managers is anticipated for fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

The department will continue to support not-for-profit organizations and communities to improve the social inclusion of vulnerable groups through the Social Development Partnerships Program. Support will be provided to eligible organizations with projects that contribute to community development, social inclusion of vulnerable populations and capacity-building.

The department will provide $3.5 million in funding to 4 Black-led organizations. These organizations will work together to fund local projects. The goal is to strengthen the governance and financial capacity of smaller Black-led grassroots organizations from every region in Canada. Through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, the department will continue to work with Black Canadians on the creation of a Canadian Institute for People of African Decent and to respond to emerging priorities as permitted by available funding.

The 2020 Speech from the Throne included the commitment to further the economic empowerment for specific communities, including Canada’s Black communities.

Through the Disability component of the Social Development Partnership Program, the department will continue to provide operating funding to support 28 national disability organizations. This will help them increase their capacity and develop partnerships in the disability community and beyond. The department will also provide operating funding to 13 regional associate organizations of Inclusion Canada (formerly Canadian Association for Community Living). This will be done under a renewed Community Inclusion Initiative will improve the social inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities. The renewed Community Inclusion Initiative will improve the ability of communities to address barriers to social inclusion. It will also raise public awareness about existing barriers and solutions that support the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities. Nunavut will be included in the renewed agreement, which will mean that the initiative will now benefit Canadians in all provinces and territories.

In addition, the department will continue to fund projects under the Social Development Partnership Program that engage youth, Indigenous organizations and other partners in promoting and supporting the inclusion of persons with disabilities. This includes continuing to promote accessibility and inclusion in communities and workplaces across Canada during National AccessAbility Week.

The department will provide funding to community-based organizations through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. With this funding, organizations will help seniors improve their quality of life. Funding will support active living and social participation. The program will also support larger projects where groups of organizations work together to address the needs of seniors in their communities.

Through the newly created Strategic Engagement and Research Program, the department will fund research projects and research-related events with domestic and international partners.

Finally, the department will continue to lead Canada’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda is a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve prosperity, peace and partnerships. At the heart of the 2030 Agenda are 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the principle of leaving no one behind. The efforts towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an essential part of the path forward to build back better in the wake of the pandemic, by focusing on the inclusion of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Canada is committed to realizing the 2030 Agenda and creating an enabling environment that will allow all partners to contribute to better social, economic and environmental outcomes for Canadians. The department will continue to provide grant and contribution funding to external stakeholders through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Funding Program. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022 the program will support at least 12 projects that contribute to:

  • Identifying and addressing gaps in knowledge and/or data to support Canada's efforts to meet the SDGs
  • Enhancing collaboration between various sectors to explore new technologies and foster innovation and investment for the SDGs
  • Creating resources to enhance and share knowledge on the SDGs including the contribution of Indigenous knowledge and practices in relation to advancing sustainable development
  • Establishing accountability frameworks to support impact measurement and demonstrate SDG progress

Fall Economic Statement 2020

Proposed investments from the Fall Economic Statement, released in November 2020, also fall under this Core Responsibility:

  • To help bring governments, experts and stakeholders together to collaborate in designing and implementing this new child care vision for Canada, the government is proposing to provide $20 million over 5 years, starting in fiscal year 2021 to 2022, with $4.3 million per year ongoing for a Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care. The Secretariat will build capacity within the government and engage stakeholders to provide child care policy analysis in support of a Canada wide-system
  • The government is also proposing to invest $70 million over 5 years, starting in fiscal year 2021 to 2022, and $15 million ongoing to sustain the existing federal Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat, and to help build Indigenous governance capacity and support Indigenous participation in the development of a Canada-wide system
  • In order to sustain the progress made in collaboration with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to date, the government is proposing to make this funding permanent at fiscal year 2027 to 2028 levels by providing $870 million per year and ongoing, starting in fiscal year 2028 to 2029. Of this amount, $210 million would support Indigenous early learning and child care programming
  • The government is proposing to provide $420 million in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 for provinces and territories to support attraction and retention of early childhood educators, such as through grants and bursaries for students studying early childhood education
  • Early childhood educators also play an important role in delivering quality, culturally-relevant care that meets the unique needs of Indigenous families. That’s why the government is proposing to invest an additional $75 million in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 to improve the quality and accessibility of Indigenous child care programs. This would enable providers to take steps to improve the retention of Indigenous early childhood educators and to offer more flexible and extended hours of care
  • To enable physical distancing, enhanced cleaning and other emergency health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in shelters, the government is proposing additional funding of $299.4 million in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Funding will also help prevent at-risk Canadians from becoming homeless by supporting targeted interventions that enable people to stay housed

Services to Canadians

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will continue improving services to Canadians under this core responsibility. It will continue research on funding trends in programs that serve vulnerable populations, including seniors, persons with disabilities, and youth. This research will support other projects focused on reducing barriers to apply for funding programs.

Gender-based analysis plus

The Enabling Accessibility Fund Program collects qualitative data from the final activity reports of grant funding recipients. This includes sociodemographic data such as gender, age, Indigenous status, veteran status, LGBTQ2 identity, and type of disability. The program increases the social and economic participation of persons with disabilities by addressing social and economic barriers to the participation in their communities and workplaces, across Canada.

The Accessible Canada initiative recognizes that disability intersects with other categorizations such as race, class and gender. It also recognizes that persons with disabilities are diverse, and that women, Indigenous people, visible minorities and/or LGBTQ2 persons with disabilities may have different experiences of disability owing to different aspects of their identity. Taking this into account, gender-based analysis plus will inform development of regulations under the Accessible Canada Act. It will also inform the design and implementation of the Accessibility Data and Measurement Strategy. In addition, it will be used in the development of awareness activities to promote social change and raise the profile of accessibility at the national level.

Reaching Home conducts demographic analyses to inform policy and program development. The program will provide demographic information for groups such as women, gender diverse individuals, youth, seniors, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, veterans, people fleeing violence and person with disabilities. The program will continue to use this data to improve the outcomes of individuals experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

The department will continue to ensure that the Social Development Partnerships Program and the New Horizons for Seniors Program serve the needs of diverse Canadians, including those belonging to marginalized communities. For example, 3 year funding agreements that began in 2019, with 28 national disability organizations will conclude in fiscal year 2021 to 2022. At the end of this time period, complete disaggregated demographic data from all 3 years will be available for analysis. This represents the first time Social Development Partnerships Program – Disability component has collected this data for gender-based analysis plus. The program expects to report on the data in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ESDC’s planned activities will continue to support Canada’s efforts to address the UN 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, this is in addition to the focused efforts of the Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program. For example, Early Learning and Child Care, the Enabling Accessibility Fund, the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy, Opportunity for All: Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy and Reaching Home contribute to advancing these efforts. Some examples include:

  • Ending poverty in all its forms (SDG 1)
  • Ensuring inclusive and equitable education and promoting lifelong learning for all (SDG 4)
  • Achieving gender equality (SDG 5)
  • Reducing inequality within and among countries (SDG 10)
  • Making cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (SDG 11)
  • Promoting inclusive societies for sustainable development and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels (SDG 16)

Experimentation

The department will develop and test a tool and process to compare before and after pictures of construction projects funded through the Enabling Accessibility Fund. This will improve the program’s ability to report on results to Canadians.

The department will also deliver an experimentation project to explore how to reduce the volume of incomplete applications submitted to funding programs, starting with the New Horizons for Seniors Program. This will help to improve program guidance and provide more client-centric services.

Planned Results for Social development

Departmental result: Access to early learning and child care is increased

Departmental result indicator: Number of children in regulated child care spaces and/or early learning programs and number of children receiving subsidies or other financial supports

Target: 40,000

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 21,205

2018 to 2019 actual results: 38,000 (combined total for both fiscal years – 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019)

2019 to 2020 actual results: (2019) Not available (see note 1 below)

Departmental result: Barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities are removed

Departmental result indicator: Number of community spaces and workplaces that are more accessible due to Enabling Accessibility Fund funding

Target: At least 400 (see note 2 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 609

2018 to 2019 actual results: 473

2019 to 2020 actual results: 376 (see note 3 below)

Departmental result: Homelessness in Canada is prevented and reduced

Departmental result indicator: Reduction in the estimated number of shelter users who are chronically homeless

Target: At least a 31% reduction (see note 4 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2024

2017 to 2018 actual results: Increase of 8.7% (29,202) for 2017, compared to 2016 baseline (see note 5 below)

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not available for 2018 (see note 6 below)

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not available for 2019 (see note 6 below)

Departmental result: Not for profit organizations, communities and other groups have an enhanced capacity to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the engagement of seniors and support for children and families

Departmental result indicator: Newly developed partnerships as a percentage of all partnerships developed by recipient organizations to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, children and families and other vulnerable populations (see note 7 below)

Target: Not available (see note 7 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2023 (see note 7 below)

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not applicable (see note 7 below)

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not applicable (see note 7 below)

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not applicable (see note 7 below)

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (see note 9 below)

Departmental result indicator: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Social Development programs (see note 8 below)

Target: 3 out of 3

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 1 out of 1

2018 to 2019 actual results: 1 out of 1

2019 to 2020 actual results: 1 out of 1

Notes:

  1. This target is based on the anticipated number of projects for fiscal year 2021 to 2022
  2. Because of a Budget 2019 commitment, the Enabling Accessibility Fund transferred $1 million to the Social Development Partnerships Program–Disability component. This sum was to help produce new accessible reading materials. While this resulted in a slightly lower number of funded projects than projected, the Enabling Accessibility Fund still achieved 94% of its target
  3. 2027 to 2028 target: 50% (Date to achieve target: March 2028). Baseline estimated at 26,900 (2016)
  4. The 2017 figure uses an enhanced methodology for the cleaning and processing of shelter data. The approach used in 2017 is more inclusive of individual experiences of chronic homelessness and increases the accuracy of the estimate
  5. This indicator is based on the calendar year. There is a 3-year lag in the availability of data. Results for 2018 are anticipated to be available in 2021. Results for 2019 are anticipated to be available in 2022
  6. This is a new indicator – baseline will be developed with 2 years of trend data from April 2020 to March 2022
  7. Service standard refers to Grants and Contributions program applications delivered by Service Canada that are acknowledged, notifications of funding decisions that are sent, and payments that are issued, within the prescribed timeframes
  8. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca
Table 1: Planned budgetary financial resources for Social development
Categories Main Estimates 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Planned Gross Spending 573,455,174 573,455,174 660,667,247 665,752,896
less: Planned Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 0 0 0
less: Planned Revenues netted against expenditures 0 0 0 0
Planned Net Spending 573,455,174 573,455,174 660,667,247 665,752,896

Note: The increase in planned spending is mainly due to the ramp up of Budget 2017 investments to implement the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care. Funding allocated in transfer payments are $121.5M in 2021-22 and reaches $180.7M by 2023-2024.

Please refer to ESDC’s Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including an explanation of gross planned spending.

Table 2: Planned human resources for Social development
2021 to 2022
planned full-time equivalents
2022 to 2023
planned full-time equivalents
2023 to 2024
planned full-time equivalents
566 560 555

Financial, human resources and performance information for ESDC’s program inventory is available in the GC Infobase.

Pensions and benefits

Description

Assist Canadians in maintaining income for retirement, and provide financial benefits to survivors, people with disabilities and their families.

Planning highlights

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will undertake the following activities to advance this core responsibility.

Seniors have income support

The department will support seniors’ income security in retirement through the Old Age Security (OAS) Program. The department will continue to provide income security by providing most seniors with the basic OAS pension. The pension is paid to all persons aged 65 or over who meet the residency requirements. It will also provide low-income OAS pensioners with the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), and Allowances for low-income Canadians aged 60 to 64 who are the spouses or common-law partners of GIS recipients, or who are widows or widowers.

The 2020 Speech from the Throne included the commitment to increase OAS pension for seniors aged 75 and over.

The department will also support seniors’ income security in retirement through the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). ESDC will continue to work with our partners on the 2019-2021 Triennial Review of the CPP. The Triennial Review process helps ensure the financial sustainability of the CPP. It also gives Federal and Provincial Finance Ministers the opportunity to recommend changes to benefits and/or contribution rates. This ensures the Plan continues to support the needs of Canadians.

The Speech from the Throne also included the commitment to work with provinces to boost the CPP survivor’s pension by 25 percent.

People with disabilities and their families have financial support

The department will ensure that persons with disabilities and their families have financial support. Through the CPP – Disability, the department will continue to respond to the needs of Canadians with severe and prolonged disabilities. This includes ongoing monitoring and promoting continuous improvements to policies and the decision-making process.

Through the Canada Disability Savings Program, the department will:

  • Move forward with measures that the department was not able to implement last year due to COVID-19 related delays to regulatory development. These measures are related to the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), and were announced in Budget 2019. These new measures will eliminate the requirement to close a RDSP when beneficiaries do not qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. This means that people who become ineligible for the Disability Tax Credit can keep their RDSP open and do not have to repay the government for Canada Disability Savings Grant or Bonds that were put into the RDSP. This will improve the long-term financial security and stability of persons with disabilities, in particular those with episodic disabilities
  • Continue to explore ways to increase take-up of RDSP. This will be done by engaging with partners and stakeholders across the country to increase awareness and understanding of the RDSP, and the Canada Disability Savings Grants and Bonds
Services to Canadians

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will continue improving services to Canadians under this core responsibility. The department will continue to support OAS/GIS automatic enrolment and the take up of GIS. This will ensure that seniors and vulnerable populations receive the benefits to which they are entitled. To increase the uptake of the GIS, the department will continue to send letters to seniors who have never applied for the benefit. It will also use findings from a project conducted with its Innovation Lab. The findings provide a better understanding of barriers to GIS take-up, and how to design additional outreach activities.

The department will also make improvements to the administration of the CPP and CPP-Disability. This includes:

  • Continued support for the Proactive Enrolment of seniors age 70 years and older to the CPP Retirement Pension to ensure entitled citizens who have not applied for the benefit receive it
  • Enhanced e-services to make it easier for Canadians to meet program requirements. For example:
    • Students under age 25 are now able to submit their Declaration of Attendance at School or University online through the My Service Canada Account to renew or re-establish their CPP Children’s Benefits. They will also be able to upload supporting documentation such as a proof of enrollment document
  • Support for continuous improvement initiatives in CPP - Disability to enhance service delivery and client experience:
    • Improved services to clients with a terminal illness or a grave medical condition
    • Improving workflow processes based on client experience feedback to provide more timely services to Canadians
    • Strengthened quality and efficiency of the decision-making process for CPP- Disability applications

Gender-based analysis plus

The programs found in the department’s Pensions and Benefits core responsibility are aligned with the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-being pillar of the Gender Results Framework.

The department is collaborating with Statistics Canada to carry out a survey to investigate the reasons eligible individuals have not yet opened a RDSP and benefited from the Canada Disability Savings Grants and Bonds. The department will analyze the results of the survey and identify trends related to eligible individuals who do not have a RDSP. This will include looking at intersectional factors, with a goal of identifying any potential barriers to opening a RDSP. Increasing RDSP uptake helps to support the financial security of persons with disabilities and aligns with the Gender Results Framework.

United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ESDC’s planned activities will continue to support Canada’s efforts to implement the UN 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. The CPP, including its disability improvements, and the Canada Disability Savings Program contribute to these efforts. Some examples include:

  • Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere (SDG 1)
  • Reducing inequality within and among countries (SDG 10)

Experimentation

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will launch Phase 1 of a pilot under the CPP – Disability program. The pilot will design and test an evidence-based approach to better support beneficiaries who wish to attempt a return to the labour market.

Planned results for Pension and Benefits

Departmental result: Seniors have income support for retirement

Departmental result indicator 1 of 4: Percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security Pension in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors (see note 1 below)

Target: At least 97%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 97% for 2015

2018 to 2019 actual results: 97% for 2016

2019 to 2020 actual results: 97.2% for 2017

Departmental result indicator 2 of 4: Percentage of seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors (see note 2 below)

Target: At least 90%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 91% for 2015

2018 to 2019 actual results: 91% for 2016

2019 to 2020 actual results: 94% for 2017

Departmental result indicator 3 of 4: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors aged 70+ receiving retirement benefits (see note 3 below)

Target: At least 99%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 99% for 2015

2018 to 2019 actual results: 99% for 2016

2019 to 2020 actual results: 99% for 2017

Departmental result indicator 4 of 4: Percentage of seniors living in poverty (see note 4 below)

Target: At most 6.1%

Date to achieve target: December 2030

2017 to 2018 actual results: 4.7% for 2016

2018 to 2019 actual results: 4.7% for 2017

2019 to 2020 actual results: 3.5% for 2018

Departmental result: People with disabilities and their families have financial support

Departmental result indicator 1 of 3: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors who have contributory eligibility for Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits and therefore have access to financial support in the event of a severe and prolonged disability

Target: At least 66%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 66% for fiscal year 2016 to 2017

2018 to 2019 actual results: 63% for fiscal year 2017 to 2018

2019 to 2020 actual results: 65% for fiscal year 2018 to 2019

Departmental result indicator 2 of 3: Percentage of Canadians eligible for the Disability Tax Credit who have a Registered Disability Savings Plan to encourage private savings

Target: At least 36%

Date to achieve target: December 2021

2017 to 2018 actual results: 31% for 2017

2018 to 2019 actual results: 34% for 2018

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not yet available for 2019

Departmental result indicator 3 of 3: Percentage of Registered Disability Savings Plan beneficiaries that have received a grant and/or a bond to assist them and their families to save for their long-term financial security

Target: At least 84%

Date to achieve target: December 2021

2017 to 2018 actual results: 85% for 2017

2018 to 2019 actual results: 83% for 2018 (see note 5 below)

2019 to 2020 actual results: 84% for 2019

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (see note 6 below)

Departmental result indicator 1 of 4: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Pensions and Benefits programs

Target: 10 (see note 7 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 3 out of 10

2018 to 2019 actual results: 5 out of 10 (see note 8 below)

2019 to 2020 actual results: 5 out of 10 (see note 9 below)

Departmental result indicator 2 of 4: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan Retirement Benefits paid within the first month of entitlement

Target: At least 90%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 96%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 96%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 97%

Departmental result indicator 3 of 4: Percentage of decisions on applications for a Canada Pension Plan disability benefit made within 120 calendar days

Target: At least 80%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 77%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 63% (see note 10 below)

2019 to 2020 actual results: 54% (see note 11 below)

Departmental result indicator 4 of 4: Percentage of Old Age Security basic benefits paid within the first month of entitlement

Target: At least 90%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 87%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 92%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 91%

Notes:

  1. It is important to note that seniors can delay the receipt of their Old Age Security pension up to age 70, in exchange for a higher pension. As such, a take-up rate under the 97% target could mean that more seniors are taking advantage of the pension deferral provision. Of note, there is a 3 year time lag in the availability of data
  2. The estimated eligible senior population consists of those persons aged 65 years and older in receipt of the Guaranteed Income Supplement and those estimated to be entitled to but not receiving it. There is a 3 year time lag in the availability of data
  3. Anyone who has made at least 1 valid contribution to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is eligible to receive a monthly retirement pension. Eligible CPP contributors aged 70+ consists of those in receipt of the retirement pension and those entitled to but not receiving the retirement benefit (including individuals who may have opted out of benefit receipt). There is a 3¬-year time lag in data availability
  4. This indicator is based on Canada’s Official Poverty Line, which is established using the Market Basket Measure thresholds. Data is collected by Statistics Canada through the survey data from the annual Canadian Income Survey
  5. The number of Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSPs) being opened has continued to increase year over year since program inception. However, the percentage rate decreased in 2017 (compared to 2016) and the 2018 target was not met
  6. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca
  7. Target is to meet 10 out of a possible 10 published service standards for Pensions and Benefits program services
  8. ESDC/Service Canada must make strategic choices in the services it delivers to use its available resources to provide the best services possible, and meet its services standards, with particular priority given to starting payment of benefits to clients as quickly as possible
  9. Two of the 5 missed targets are related to changes in Pensions call centres. The migration of these call centres to a new telephone platform in May 2019, greatly improved accessibility (to almost 100% post-migration). This allowed more Canadians to wait and speak to a Call Centre Agent. However, an increase in callers waiting to speak to an agent also resulted in an increase in wait times. In fiscal year 2019 to 2020, 96% of clients contacting the Pensions Call Centre were able to speak to an agent. Of those, 48% of callers were able to speak to an agent within 10 minutes. On average, clients waited approximately 12 minutes before speaking to an agent. The other 3 targets were related to the processing of CPP-Disability applications (see note 11 for details).
  10. While the service standard was not met, the average timeframe was below the service standard. In 2018 to 2019, for initial application decisions, the average time achieved was 102 days. Increased inventory resulted in Service Canada having to balance the processing of older applications and the prioritization of files for the gravely ill and terminally ill.
  11. The target was not met. For initial application decisions, the average time to make a decision was 125 days. Increased inventory resulted in Service Canada having to balance the processing of older applications and the prioritization of files for gravely ill and terminally ill clients. For reference, year-over-year improvements were made in targets for decisions on gravely and terminally ill applications. Applications for a grave medical condition were processed on time 92% of the time compared to 84% last fiscal year. Applications for terminally illness condition were processed in time 92% of the time compared to 91% the previous year.
Table 3: Planned budgetary financial resources for Pension and benefits
Categories Main Estimates Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending  2022 to 2023 Planned spending  2023 to 2024
Planned Gross Spending 63,705,997,499  117,935,559,921 124,330,652,209 131,144,273,224
less: Planned Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 54,229,562,422 57,217,186,646 60,423,268,593
less: Planned Revenues netted against expenditures 338,566,133 338,566,133 319,816,394 281,476,400
Planned Net Spending 63,367,431,366 63,367,431,366 66,793,649,169 70,439,528,231

Note: Please refer to ESDC's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including an explanation of gross planned spending.

Table 4: Planned human resources for Pension and benefits
2021 to 2022
planned full-time equivalents
2022 to 2023
planned full-time equivalents
2023 to 2024
planned full-time equivalents
6,221 6,068 4,805

Note: The decrease in full-time equivalents between fiscal year 2021 to 2022 and fiscal year 2023 to 2024 is mainly due to a reduction in temporary resources provided to address Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan delivery.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Employment and Social Development Canada’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Learning, skills development and employment

Description

Help Canadians access post-secondary education and get the skills and training they need to participate in a changing labour market, as well as provide support to those who are temporarily unemployed.

Planning highlights

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will undertake the following activities to advance this core responsibility.

More students from low and middle income families have supports to participate in post-secondary education

The department will increase awareness of the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) and work with community partners to help low-income families benefit from the CLB. In addition, in Budget 2017, the department set aside $12.5M to find ways to help families with lower incomes to access the CLB. The department used the funds to put in place 12 projects. The positive results from these projects will be shared with the CLB Champions' network in fiscal year 2021 to 2022. These organizations will be able to use this knowledge to improve their practices and to help more families access the CLB. Building on these lessons learned, the department will be working on the second phase to improve access to the CLB.

The department will also take steps to ensure that Canadians who are 18 to 20 years old with a Registered Education Savings Plan can apply under their own name to access the CLB. This will include investing in Information Technology (IT) systems, adapting supporting documentation and working with service delivery partners.

The department will provide financial and non-financial supports to Canadian learners through the Supports for Student Learning Program by:

  • Delivering annual federal funding to Pathways to Education Canada to help youth living in low-income communities complete high school and access post-secondary education , training, and employment
  • Increasing the number of Indigenous students who receive scholarships and bursaries through Indspire, and improving access to Indspire's Rivers to Success virtual mentoring program

The Canada Service Corps creates, promotes and facilitates access to service placements for youth, particularly, those from underrepresented groups. The goal is to engage youth in civic participation and help them gain skills for the future. The Canada Service Corps will increase the number of available placement opportunities from 7,000 in fiscal year 2020 to 2021, to 10,000 in fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

Student borrowers have support to help them repay their federal student debt

The department will continue to implement a multi-year plan to improve financial literacy tools on the National Student Loans Service Centre’s web site. These tools are designed to help students learn how to manage their money through planning, budgeting and saving. They also provide information on how to build financial skills for the future. The department will consult with provincial and territorial partners, and other stakeholders, on the feasibility and effectiveness of counselling for student aid applicants.

Canadians have access to lifelong learning and adult upskilling and the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly changing labour market

The Speech from the Throne included the commitment to support Canadians as they build new skills in growing sectors; helping workers receive education and accreditation; strengthening workers’ futures by connecting them to employers and good jobs; and working with provinces and territories to invest in training for workers.

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the Future Skills Council will take action on priority items identified in the report to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Canada – A Learning Nation: A Skilled, Agile Workforce Ready to Shape the Future, released in 2020. In addition, the Future Skills Centre, which is funded by the department, will publish and disseminate results from 50 ongoing innovation projects and 27 research publications that began in 2019 and 2020. The Centre will also pursue new innovation and research projects aimed at helping Canadians to better understand and prepare for changing skills needs now and into the future.

The Literacy and Essential Skills Program will fund projects to develop new assessment tools, training resources and approaches to help all Canadians develop foundational and transferable skills. The tools and approaches will be based on the renewed Essential Skills Framework and will support up to 25,000 Canadians to identify and gain the skills they need to find employment or higher-skilled jobs. Successful projects will be expanded to other areas across Canada to ensure Canadians have the right set of skills for the current and future labour market.

As the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the bilateral Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) and Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) will be at the center of the Government’s efforts to assist workers and employers with skills training and employment supports. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, 2.5 billion dollars under the Labour Market Development Agreements and 922 million dollars under the Workforce Development Agreements, will be provided to provinces and territories. This will support Canadians to prepare for, find, advance in, and keep jobs. It will also ensure a skilled workforce that can meet the current and emerging needs of employers.

Canadians are supported in accessing apprenticeship training and the trades

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will continue to play an important role in strengthening apprenticeships in the skilled trades. This will include supporting underrepresented groups such as, youth, women, Indigenous people, newcomers, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities, including Black Canadians to enter and succeed in the trades. The following programs will provide support:

  • The Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program will continue to build awareness of the trades as viable, good quality careers. The program will equip up to 3,200 Canadians with the skills and supports they need to pursue a career in the skilled trades. The department will also complete the design and development of a National Campaign to promote the skilled trades to young people as a first-choice career. The department expects to launch the campaign in the Fall 2021
  • The Apprenticeship Grants Program will continue to support entry/progression and completion/certification within an apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade. Specifically, in fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the program aims to support the following number of apprentices through 3 available grants:
    • The Apprenticeship Incentive Grant will support 37,000 apprentices
    • The Apprenticeship Completion Grant will support 22,000 apprentices
    • The Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women will support 2,170 women to enter and progress through eligible Red Seal trades
  • The Red Seal Program, in collaboration with provinces and territories, will:
    • publish 6 standards for the trades
    • complete 24 examinations for 8 trades
    • hold 5 workshops to develop standard and 9 examination development workshops

The Program will continue to implement and improve alternative Red Seal product development methods. This includes virtual workshops, while maintaining the integrity of the Red Seal products.

The Union Training and Innovation Program will support up to 11,600 individuals through funded projects. These projects will support union-based apprenticeship training, innovation and partnerships in the Red Seal trades. The program will continue to engage provincial government departments on initiatives of shared interest.

To give apprentices more opportunities to gain work experience, the department is continuing work to create the Canadian Apprenticeship Service. The department will work with partners to create over 12,000 apprenticeship opportunities, providing up to $10,000 per apprentice, over 4 years, for every new position created.

Support Indigenous peoples’ access to training, skills and work to increase their participation in the labour force

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program will provide funding to over 100 Indigenous service delivery organizations through 4 co-developed, distinctions based strategies. With longer term funding, and strategies developed and delivered by Indigenous partners, this program provides skills and employment training to First Nations, Inuit, Métis Nation peoples and urban Indigenous participants. Skills and employment training to Indigenous participants across Canada will focus on community priorities and the needs of Indigenous clients. The program expects to serve 54,000 Indigenous participants annually.

Employment opportunities for youth are increased

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy will provide flexible supports and services to youth. In particular, the strategy will help youth facing barriers to obtain employment. In total, 11 departments and agencies under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program will create up to 14,400 job placements. Of this number, the department will create up to 8,000 job placements. The department will also create 25,970 quality jobs for youth through the Canada Summer Jobs stream. In addition, the Goal Getters stream will help 2,500 youth facing barriers access the supports they need to complete high school and successfully transition to post-secondary education. The department will also develop funding proposals to provide more paid work experiences for young Canadians.

The 2020 Speech from the Throne included the commitment to scale up the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to provide more paid work experiences for young Canadians.

The department, through the Student Work Placement Program, will create up to 20,000 opportunities for post-secondary education students. This will help better prepare students to enter competitive job markets. In addition, the Innovative Work-Integrated Learning initiative, will offer shorter, high intensity work placements, to help students who are not able to participate in traditional placements. This initiative will create up to 10,000 work opportunities.

Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the Foreign Credential Recognition Program will support skilled newcomers by reducing barriers to employment. This will help them to fully participate in the Canadian labour market. The program will fund up to 15 new projects to support the labour market integration of skilled newcomers.

The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities will develop and implement a National Workplace Accessibility stream. This will help to increase the availability of accommodations in the workplace. It will also help to create more inclusive and accessible workplaces. It will also help close the gap in access to good paying jobs for persons with disabilities. The program will support up to 5,000 employers to integrate persons with disabilities in the workplace. It will also support up to 6,000 persons with disabilities prepare for, get, and maintain employment.

Labour market efficiency is supported through worker mobility and timely, relevant labour market information

The 2020 Speech from the Throne included the commitment to provide support and protection for migrant workers who produce, harvest, and process our food. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will develop minimum requirements for employer-provided accommodation to ensure better living conditions for workers. The program will take steps to address the power imbalance between workers and employers. It will help workers to better understand and exercise their rights. It will also help ensure that Canada’s food producers have reliable, efficient access to foreign workers to meet their needs and to ensure Canada’s competitiveness.

The Sectoral Initiatives Program will continue to support key sectors of the Canadian economy to identify, forecast and address their human resources and skills issues. In response to the pandemic, the program will implement a project to help address labour shortages in long-term and home care. The project aims to increase the existing workforce of support care workers. An accelerated training program followed by a work placement will quickly train up to 4,000 personal support workers.

The department will work with provincial and territorial counterparts through the Labour Mobility Working Group of the Forum of Labour Market Ministers, to identify actions that would make it easier for workers to move within Canada. These actions include:

  • improving collaboration among regulatory authorities
  • further alignment of occupational standards
  • developing tools to improve communication of labour mobility requirements to key stakeholders

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the national Job Bank will implement and promote a new feature to allow job seekers and employers to directly share and view resumes.

Canadians receive financial support during times of need and during employment transitions such as job loss, illness, or maternity/parental leave

The department, through the Employment Insurance (EI) program, will continue to provide supports to eligible workers who lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes temporary measures that facilitate access to EI benefits. These measures allow Canadians to qualify for EI with 120 hours of insurable work, have a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week (or $300 for extended parental benefits), and provide a minimum entitlement of 26 weeks of regular benefits. Temporary measures are scheduled to remain in place until September 27, 2021.

The 2020 Speech from the Throne included the commitment to modernize the EI system to deliver employment benefits to those who did not qualify for EI before the pandemic, including for the self-employed and those in the gig economy.

Fall Economic Statement 2020

Proposed investments from the Fall Economic Statement, released in November 2020, also fall under this core responsibility:

  • To further bolster training supports for those hardest hit by the pandemic, including marginalized and racialized women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and recent newcomers to Canada, the government proposes to invest an additional $274.2 million over 2 years, starting in fiscal year 2021 to 2022
  • The government intends to commit $38.5 million over 2 years to support training up to 4,000 personal support worker interns through an accelerated 6 week online training program combined with a 4 month work placement, to address acute labour shortages in long-term care and home care
  • The government intends to support up to 120,000 job placements through Canada Summer Jobs in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 – an increase of 40,000 from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 levels. To this end, the government proposes to provide approximately $447.5 million in new investments in the program next year
  • The government proposes to invest $575.3 million over the next 2 years in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to provide approximately 45,300 job placements for young people
  • The government intends to temporarily eliminate the interest on repayment of the federal portion of the Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans for fiscal year 2021 to 2022

Services to Canadians

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will continue improving services to Canadians under this core responsibility.

The department will introduce additional self-service features to help student loan borrowers manage their student loans online. This will be done through the secure National Student Loans Service Centre web site and will include features such as:

  • a live chat channel
  • the ability to securely share electronic documents
  • launching a new SMS text message option to allow students to receive notifications and reminders

The department will streamline the application process for the Canada Summer Jobs program and automate parts of the form. This will simplify the application process for employers and reduce the time it takes to apply.

Finally, the department will also increase the use of the Temporary Foreign Worker’s online application system for labour market impacts assessments. This system is faster, safer and easier to use than the paper-based application.

Gender-based analysis plus

The department’s programs under this core responsibility use gender-based analysis plus to integrate gender and identity factors in policy development to ensure inclusive programming.

The Improving Gender and Diversity Outcomes in Skills Programs initiative will allow access to more disaggregated demographic data from the department’s programs. This will be essential to conducting full and thorough Gender-based analysis plus so that these programs and policies are responsive, inclusive and accessible to Canadians who are underrepresented in the labour market. This will provide the department with a better understanding of barriers faced by different target populations (i.e. women, visible minorities, newcomers, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and youth). It will also allow for ongoing monitoring of the effectiveness of labour market programming for these populations.

The Canada Education Savings Program will start presenting results by sex in future releases of the CESP's Annual Statistical Review. This will allow the program to identify if sex differences exist in the receipt of federal education savings incentives.

Note: Due to data limitations, the program is collecting information on sex and not on gender, which has a broader definition.

United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ESDC’s planned activities will continue to support Canada’s efforts to implement the UN 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. The Student Work Placement Program, Opportunities Fund, Future Skills, Canada Student Grants, Canada Student Loans, Literary and Essential Skills, Canada Education Savings Grant, and the Canada Learning Bond programs contribute to these efforts. Some examples include:

  • Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere (SDG 1)
  • Ensuring inclusive and equitable education and promoting lifelong learning for all (SDG 4)
  • Achieving gender equality (SDG 5)
  • Promoting inclusive and sustained economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all (SDG8)
  • Reducing inequality within and among countries (SDG 10)

Experimentation

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will pursue the following experimentation projects under this core responsibility:

  • The Youth Employment Skills Strategy (YESS) will launch a new pilot (Youth Program Navigators pilot) to test a range of options to increase the awareness and uptake of YESS funded programming by hard-to-reach youth who are furthest away from the employment service providers’ network. Key features of the pilot will be informed by research that occurred over fiscal year 2020 to 2021
  • The department will test if changing the content and style of letters will improve the number of eligible families that use the Canada Learning Bond. This will build on previous work done in order to achieve further improvements
  • The Canada Service Corps will work on 2 pilot projects designed to test new ways of approaching youth participation in service
  • The department will continue a research project to explore why some sub-populations of youth face barriers to accessing youth employment programs. This project will test approaches to improve outreach to youth. It will also test methods for increasing participation in existing funding programs that support youth

Planned results for Learning, skills development and employment

Departmental result: Canadians access education, training, and life-long learning supports to gain the skills and work experience they need

Departmental result indicator 1 of 6: Canadians access education, training, and life-long learning supports to gain the skills and work experience they need (see note 1 below)

Target: At least 155,970 (see note 2 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 140,771

2018 to 2019 actual results: 148,228

2019 to 2020 actual results: 157,591

Departmental result indicator 2 of 6: Number of Canadians receiving provincially or territorially delivered skills training and/or employment services supported by Government of Canada funding transfers

Target: Not available. Provincially and territorially (P/T) delivered programs set their own annual targets (see note 3 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2017 to 2018 actual results: 695,911 (see note 4 below)

2018 to 2019 actual results: 670,431

2019 to 2020 actual results: Results will be available in Spring 2021

Departmental result indicator 3 of 6: Employment or returns to school following training/supports through federally administered programs (see note 1 below)

Target: At least 92,350 (see note 5 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 110,536

2018 to 2019 actual results: 117,698 (see note 6 below)

2019 to 2020 actual results: 106,980

Departmental result indicator 4 of 6: Employment or returns to school following provincially or territorially delivered skills training and/or employment services supported by Government of Canada funding transfers

Target: Not available. Provincially and territorially (P/T) delivered programs set their own annual targets (see note 3 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2017 to 2018 actual results: 177,335 (see note 4 below)

2018 to 2019 actual results: 190,717

2019 to 2020 actual results: Results will be available in Spring 2021

Departmental result indicator 5 of 6: Percentage of Canadian young adults that are enrolled in university or college

Target: At least 45% for 2021

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 43% for 2017

2018 to 2019 actual results: 44% for 2018

2019 to 2020 actual results: 44% for 2019

Departmental result indicator 6 of 6: Percentage change in Canadians aged 25 to 64 enrolled in university or college

Target: At least a 3% increase for 2021

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 1% decrease for 2017

2018 to 2019 actual results: 3% increase for 2018

2019 to 2020 actual results: 5% increase for 2019

Departmental result: Students, including those from low- and middle-income families, use federally funded supports to help them participate in post-secondary education

Departmental result indicator 1 of 2: Percentage of low- and middle-income Canadian young adults participating in Post-Secondary Education

Target: At least 50.5% for 2018 (see note 7)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 52.1% for 2014 (see note 8 below)

2018 to 2019 actual results: 52.1% for 2015

2019 to 2020 actual results: 52.0% for 2016

Departmental result indicator 2 of 2: Annual percentage of beneficiaries under the age of 18 who receive an education savings incentive available only to those from low- or middle-income families

Target: At least 46.5%

Date to achieve target: December 2021

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

Departmental result: Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market

Departmental result indicator 1 of 4: Difference in the employment rate between women and men (see note 9 below)

Target: At most 5.6% (see note 10 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

Departmental result indicator 2 of 4: Difference in the employment rate between Indigenous peoples (First Nations status and non-status, Inuit and Metis) and non-Indigenous peoples (see note 9 below)

Target: At most 15.6% (see note 10 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

Departmental result indicator 3 of 4: Difference in the employment rate between persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities (see note 9 below)

Target: At most 25.2% (see note 11 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2025

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

Departmental result indicator 4 of 4: Difference in the employment rate gap between visible minority group members and the non-visible minority population (see note 9 below)

Target: At most 6.1% (see note 10 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

Departmental result: Canadians receive financial support during employment transitions such as job loss, illness, or maternity/parental leave

Departmental result indicator 1 of 2: Percentage of workers losing their job in the previous year that were eligible for Employment Insurance

Target: At least 85.7%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 84.3% for 2017

2018 to 2019 actual results: 87.4% for 2018

2019 to 2020 actual results: 82.4% for 2019

Departmental result indicator 2 of 2: Percentage of Employment Insurance claimants finding employment before the end of their benefit entitlement

Target: At least 66.7%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2017 to 2018 actual results: 65.9%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 67.6%

2019 to 2020 actual results: Results will be available in Spring 2021 (see note 3 below)

Departmental result: Student borrowers are able to repay their federal student debt

Departmental result indicator: The percentage of loans in repayment that are paid each year

Target: At least 12% (see note 12 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 15.1%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 15.6%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 10.7%

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (see note 13 below)

Departmental result indicator 1 of 5: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Learning, Skills Development and Employment programs

Target: 25 out of 25

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not available

2018 to 2019 actual results: 16 out of 23

2019 to 2020 actual results: 13 out of 23

Departmental result indicator 2 of 5: Percentage of Employment Insurance benefit payments or non-benefit notifications issued within 28 days of filing

Target: At least 80%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 82%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 80%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 80%

Departmental result indicator 3 of 5: Percentage of Employment Insurance requests for reconsideration reviewed within 30 days of filing

Target: At least 80% (see note 14 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 67%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 71%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 76%

Departmental result indicator 4 of 5: Percentage of registrations to My Service Canada Account through Trusted Digital Identities in participating provinces/territories

Target: At least 5%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2018 to 2019 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

2019 to 2020 actual results: Not applicable; new indicator

Departmental result indicator 5 of 5: Percentage of Social Insurance Numbers applied for through the Newborn Registration Service issued within 10 business days

Target: At least 95%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 100%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 100%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 100%

Notes

  1. This indicator now includes the Adult Learning Literacy and Essential Skills Program (ALLESP) and National Essential Skills Initiative (NESI). As such, ALLESP and NESI may not be captured in previous years’ results.
  2. The target includes the expected number of participants for the following federally delivered programs: Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (OF-PwD) 6,000; Student Work Placement Program (SWP) 30,000; Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) which includes Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESSP) 8,000; Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 25,970, and Goal Getters (GG) 2,500; Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program (ISET) 54,000; Literacy and Essential Skills 25,000; Adult Learning Literacy and Essential Skills Program and National Essential Skills Initiative 4,500. While Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) is not included in the target, results will be included in the actual results.
  3. Results will be reported in the Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report in Spring 2021
  4. The results do not include Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs), as they are not available. More data about WDAs’ client outcomes will become available once a new Performance Measurement Strategy is implemented.
  5. The target includes the number of participants returning to work or to school under the following federally delivered programs: OF-PwD 2,880; SWP 30,000; YESS which includes YESSP 4,800, CSJ 25,970; and GG 2,500; Literacy and Essential Skills 25,000; Adult Learning Literacy and Essential Skills Program and National Essential Skills Initiative 1,200. Due to COVID-19, ISET was not able to set a target for the reference year, and SPF is not included in the target. Both ISET and SPF’s respective results will be included in the actual results.
  6. The result for fiscal year 2018 to 2019 previously reported in the Departmental Results Report 2018-2019 as 115,155 did not include SWP. This result was updated in the current Departmental Plan to 117,698 to include SWP.
  7. Effective January 1, 2017 and going forward, the education and textbook credits were eliminated from personal income tax; however, the tuition credit remains. Targets for fiscal year 2021 to 2022 will use data from 2018 for the calculation of results for this indicator. Individuals with no tuition credits but with education and textbook credits will not be considered “students” moving forward to ensure consistency over time. For this reason, the target is lower than in previous years.
  8. There is a 3 year lag in data availability. Data for this indicator comes from annual personal income tax data. This can contribute to a reporting delay of up to an additional year. As such, the actual result for fiscal year 2019 to 2020 uses 2016 data. Furthermore, the actual result for fiscal year 2018 to 2019 uses 2015 data, and the actual result for fiscal year 2017 to 2018 uses 2014 data.
  9. There are many factors that can affect employment rates in any specific group, and/or affect groups differently, and ESDC programming cannot be considered solely responsible for changes to the employment rate gaps.
  10. As calculated using the 2016 Census.
  11. As calculated using the 2017 Canadian Survey of Disability.
  12. The target is calculated as the average of the last 3 years +/- 2 percentage points, i.e. 12% to 16%. The target of at least 12% only applies to fiscal year 2021 to 2022 and does not apply to the years before that.
  13. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca.
  14. This target was 70% in previous years (before fiscal year 2020 to 2021) and was increased to 80% for fiscal year 2020 to 2021.
Table 5: Planned budgetary financial resources for Learning, skills development and employment
Categories Main Estimates 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Planned Gross Spending 18,789,110,217 48,891,943,794 31,665,708,921 30,111,945,387
less: Planned Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 30,102,833,577 24,494,628,377 23,271,486,977
less: Planned Revenues netted against expenditures 1,043,350,492 1,043,350,492 866,330,954 862,391,746
Planned Net Spending  17,745,759,725 17,745,759,725 6,304,749,590 5,978,066,664

Note: Refer to ESDC's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including an explanation of gross planned spending.

The decrease in planned spending is mainly attributable to the Canada Recovery Benefit resources that were approved only for 2021-22 in response to the pandemic.

Table 6: Planned human resources for Learning, skills development and employment
2021 to 2022
planned full-time equivalents
2022 to 2023
planned full-time equivalents
2023 to 2024
planned full-time equivalents
12,193 9,848 9,749

Note: The decrease in full-time equivalents is associated with the decrease in the level of Operating funds to deliver programs including the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, the Employment Insurance, the Canada services corps program, the sectoral initiatives and the Temporary Foreign Workers programs.

Financial, human resources and performance information for ESDC’s program inventory is available in the GC Infobase.

Working conditions and workplace relations

Description

Promotes safe, healthy, fair and inclusive work conditions and cooperative workplace relations.

Planning highlights

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department, through the Labour Program, will undertake the following initiatives.

Workplaces are safe and healthy

The department will work to make mental health a specific element of occupational health and safety, through the sharing of best practices and tools. It will also develop better labour protections for Canadians who work online through digital platforms and do not have a clear status under provincial or federal laws. The department will also work with employers and labour groups to develop protections for federally regulated workers to give them the “right to disconnect” by setting boundaries around after-hours work-related e-communications.

The Labour Program will continue the phased implementation of the new Administrative Monetary Penalties system. This will complement existing compliance tools to help non-compliant employers meet the requirements of the Canada Labour Code.

The department will also make regulatory amendments to the Canadian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. These changes are related to levels of sound and hazardous substances. The levels of sound amendments will reduce the risk of hearing impairment by updating exposure limits and threshold and adopting surveillance measures consistent with scientific knowledge. The hazardous substances amendments will update the exposure limits and regulatory requirements. These new amendments will help employers better protect the health and safety of Canadian workers. In addition, the department will update the Nuclear Exclusion Regulations to clarify out of date definitions, titles, and inconsistency in nuclear regulations in the Canada Labour Code.

The department will continue to support employers as they implement new regulations. This will include communicating the new occupational health and safety requirements and labour standards. In addition, it will provide employers with guidance materials, information and educational sessions.

Work conditions are fair and inclusive

In the fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the Labour Program will ensure working conditions are fair and inclusive, via the following regulatory development initiatives.

The department will continue to work on the development of regulations related to certain groups in workplaces that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These changes will impact new hours of work and break provisions. The department will also put in place regulations to support the change in minimum age of employment in hazardous work places. These changes will also include reimbursement of work-related expenses.

The department will support the coming into force of the new Pay Equity Act. This will be done by developing regulations to make sure that men and women in federally regulated workplaces receive equal pay for work of equal value. Amendments to the Employment Equity Act and the Employment Equity Regulations will be implemented. This will make wage gaps in the federally regulated private sector more transparent.

The department will continue to update the Wage Earner Protection Program regulations to:

  • Provide faster Wage Earner Protection Program payments to workers who lose their jobs during prolonged business restructurings
  • Expand the program to include Canadians employed by foreign companies operating in Canada and who enter a bankruptcy or receivership process overseas
  • Update the way that trustees’ fees and expenses are paid to make sure that workers can access the program even if there are few assets remaining in an insolvent estate

The department will develop options for the re-design of the Federal Contractors Program. This program is for contractors who do business with the Government of Canada. It requires the contractor to build and maintain a workforce that is representative of the Canadian workforce.

The Labour Program will continue to assist partner countries to respect international labour standards. This will be done through multilateral initiatives and through the negotiation and implementation of labour provisions of free trade agreements such as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. The department will also work with the provinces and territories to ratify the International Labour Organization Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.

Labour relations are cooperative

The Labour Program will continue to support cooperative workplace relations by offering joint training workshops and mediating discussions between parties during the collective bargaining process. The department will appoint mediators and conciliators to provide training via workshops and facilitated discussions and to support negotiations.

Fall Economic Statement 2020

Proposed investments from the Fall Economic Statement, released in November 2020, also fall under this Core Responsibility:

  • The government is proposing $6.6 million to support a task force on modernizing the Employment Equity Act. The task force will have a mandate to study, consult, and advise on how a renewed Employment Equity Act can help ensure that Canada's economic recovery is equitable, inclusive, and fair
  • The government is also proposing $3.6 million on an ongoing basis to expand the Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity Program, to promote projects that help federally regulated workplaces become more representative of Canada’s diversity

Services to Canadians

The Labour Program will ensure clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services. It will work to reduce the time it takes to respond to complaints about labour standards and occupational health and safety. This will be done, in part, by using the new Integrated Labour System. There will also be further development of employee and employer portals to make information sharing easier.

Gender-based analysis plus

Initiatives under the Labour Program contribute to the Economic Participation and Prosperity as well as the Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice pillars of the Gender Results Framework by ensuring that federally regulated workplaces and work conditions are safe, healthy, fair and inclusive.

The government’s new Pay Transparency measures will make wage gap information for women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minority groups working in federally regulated workplaces publicly available. Aggregated wage gaps will be presented in the form of hourly-rate gaps, supported by bonus pay gaps, overtime pay gaps, as well as representation rates. Raising awareness of wage gaps in federally regulated workplaces encourages employers to show leadership in reducing those gaps in their workplaces. It will also help shift business culture and expectations toward greater equality and better outcomes for workers and their families. The new measures came into effect on January 1, 2021 and the new reporting structure will apply to reports submitted by employers, which are due on June 1, 2022. These reports will contain data collected from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.

The Pay Equity Act, which is expected to come into force later in 2021 complements the implementation of pay transparency measures, as both initiatives target the reduction of wage gaps. The act will introduce a new proactive pay equity regime that aims to close the portion of the gender wage gap that is due to systemic gender-based discrimination in compensation against employees in predominantly female, or traditionally female, occupations. This new regime will primarily benefit women workers in federally regulated workplaces, but more specifically racialized women, women with disabilities, and women with lower levels of education. These groups tend to face larger wage gaps and be concentrated in occupations traditionally occupied by women.

In addition, proactive pay equity is expected to benefit men, LGBTQ2 and gender-nonconforming people employed in predominantly female job classes. This is because they would receive the same pay equity adjustments as women employed in these job classes.

United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ESDC’s planned activities will continue to support Canada’s efforts to implement the UN 2030 Agenda and for its SDGs. The Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund, amendments to the Canada Labour Code and the Employment Equity Act and its regulations, and the Wage Earner Protection Program contribute to these efforts. Some examples include:

  • Achieving gender equality (SDG 5)
  • Promoting inclusive and sustained economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all (SDG 8)
  • Reducing inequality within and among countries (SDG 10)

Experimentation

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, 3 innovative projects will be undertaken to improve the Labour Program. The Labour Program Innovation Unit will draw on expertise in data science, user-experience research and behavioural insights. It will experiment on how to better serve Canadian workers and employers in federally regulated workplaces. Projects will include:

  • Using data science to reduce processing times for labour standards complaints in federally regulated workplaces. An analytics-based tool will be developed to triage labour standards complaints. The objective is to resolve cases as quickly and efficiently as possible. If the tool effectively reduces processing times, it may be used in all Labour Program regional offices
  • Behavioural insights will be used to improve employers’ compliance with federal labour standards. This will involve proactive communications with employers on federal labour standards. The evidence gathered in this project will examine if proactive communication led to better compliance from employers
  • The Labour Program will launch a second pilot project to write at least part of the Motor Vehicle Operators Hours of Work Regulations in machine-readable code. Road industry stakeholders can use the code to update their payroll systems quickly and efficiently. The Labour Program will also work with these stakeholders so that they can use the code to turn it into an industry wide calculating tool or an app

Planned results for Workplace conditions and workplace relations

Departmental result: Workplaces are safe and healthy

Departmental result indicator: Number of health and safety violations identified under the Canada Labour Code (Part II) per 1,000 federally regulated employees

Target: At most 9 (see note 1 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 9.6

2018 to 2019 actual results: 11.1

2019 to 2020 actual results: 12.6

Departmental result: Work conditions are fair and inclusive

Departmental result indicator 1 of 2: Percentage of Legislated Employment Equity Program employers whose representation equals or surpasses Canadian labour market availability for 2+ designated groups or who demonstrated progress towards representation since the previous reporting period

Target: At least 65% (see note 2 below)

Date to achieve target: September 2021

2017 to 2018 actual results: 63%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 68%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 73%

Departmental result indicator 2 of 2: Three-year average number of founded violations identified under Part III of the Canada Labour Code per 1,000 federally regulated employees

Target: At most 3 (see note 3 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 2.6 for 2015 to 2018

2018 to 2019 actual results: 2.9 for 2016 to 2019

2019 to 2020 actual results: 2.9 for 2017 to 2020

Departmental result: Labour relations are cooperative

Departmental result indicator: Percentage of labour disputes settled under the Canada Labour Code (Part 1) without work stoppages, where parties were assisted by Labour Program officers

Target: At least 95%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 94%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 97%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 93%

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (see note 4 below)

Departmental result indicator 1 of 5: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Working Conditions and Workplace Relations programs

Target: 4 out of 4

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: Not available

2018 to 2019 actual results: 2 out of 4

2019 to 2020 actual results: 4 out of 4

Departmental result indicator 2 of 5: Percentage of occupational health and safety cases each fiscal year that are finalized within 120 days (excluding prosecutions, appeals, and technical surveys)

Target: At least 80%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 80%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 79%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 83%

Departmental result indicator 3 of 5: Percentage of unjust dismissal complaints that are finalized within 180 days

Target: At least 75%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 70%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 73%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 80%

Departmental result indicator 4 of 5: Percentage of conciliators assigned under the Canada Labour Code within 15 calendar days of receiving requests that are compliant with Canada Industrial Relations Regulations

Target: At least 100%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 100%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 100%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 100%

Departmental result indicator 5 of 5: Percentage of initial Wage Earner Protection Program payments and non-payment notifications issued within 35 calendar days

Target: At least 80%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 97%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 73% (see note 5 below)

2019 to 2020 actual results: 98%

Notes

  1. As a result of changes to legislation, particularly changes to Compliance & Enforcement, the number of violations identified is likely to fluctuate and may increase over the short term as the program improves its service delivery and is able to reach a larger number of employers.
  2. The Labour Program contributes to this target by supporting the efforts of federally regulated private-sector employers in achieving progress towards creating equitable workplaces.
  3. As a result of changes to legislation to improve Compliance & Enforcement, the results for this indicator will remain unpredictable as the program improves its service delivery and is able to reach a larger number of employers.
  4. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca.
  5. Fiscal years 2018 to 2019 saw the highest ever number of Wage Earner Protection Program recipients since the inception of the program in 2008. Until February 2019, year-to-date results exceeded the target. However, between January and March 2019, the program received the equivalent number of applications typically received annually due to several large bankruptcies/receiverships, including Sears Canada. As a result, approximately 10,000 applications from former Sears Canada workers were processed within the fiscal year, creating a massive spike in demand for application processing, which ultimately impacted the annual Wage Earner Protection Program service standard. 73% of initial payments and non-payment notifications were issued within service standards. The program ensured that payments remained as timely as possible, despite the unprecedented volume of applications.
Table 7: Planned budgetary financial resources for Workplace conditions and workplace relations
Categories Main Estimates 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Planned Gross Spending 182,334,289 182,334,289 178,895,665 179,906,243
less: Planned Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 0 0 0
less: Planned Revenues netted against expenditures 900,000 900,000 900,000 900,000
Planned Net Spending 181,434,289 181,434,289 177,995,665 179,006,243

Note: Refer toESDC's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including an explanation of gross planned spending.

Table 8: Planned human resources for Workplace conditions and workplace relations
2021 to 2022
planned full-time equivalents
2022 to 2023
planned full-time equivalents
2023 to 2024
planned full-time equivalents
801 784 782

Financial, human resources and performance information for ESDC’s program inventory is available in the GC Infobase.

Information delivery and services for other departments

Description

Provide information to the public on the programs of the Government of Canada and provide services on behalf of government departments and other partners.

Planning highlights

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will undertake the following initiatives to advance this core responsibility.

The department will improve access to in-person service and provide Canadians with quality information by:

  • Continuing to engage all northern, remote and on-reserve Indigenous communities. This will support access to existing and new programs and services, particularly those for which uptake among Indigenous people are low
  • Building on progress made in previous years to improve accessibility. This includes providing Video Remote Interpretation and tools for clients using hearing aids) in Service Canada Centres. In addition, ESDC’s Centre of Expertise for Accessible Client Service will continue to take steps to improve accessibility
  • Continuing to ensure that vulnerable clients and communities facing barriers can better access the department’s programs and services. Communities without internet can use the Service Canada Outreach Support Centre, a toll-free service to connect with outreach officers
Obtain a passport within Canada in a timely manner

The department will continue to collaborate with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to modernize the Passport Program. As part of the Passport Program Modernization Initiative, the department will pilot a new passport intake tool and processing system, designed to strengthen integrity and security, and improve services across Canada and to Canadians abroad.

Services to Canadians

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will provide clients with high quality, timely and accurate government information and services that meet their needs.

To improve the Government of Canada’s Internet Presence ESDC will continue to support departments that have moved their content and websites to Canada.ca. This includes ensuring a consistent look and feel on all Government of Canada web sites. It will also ensure that accessibility standards are followed and that content is updated and available to Canadians in both official languages. The department will also provide ongoing support to departments that are managing their social media accounts. This will help to improve the quality of information available to Canadians.

The department will continue to improve online service provided to Canadians. ESDC will improve the user experience for My Service Canada Account and My Service Canada Business Account. This will benefit both individual clients and organizations.

The department will continue to provide high quality service through its Government of Canada Telephone General Enquiries Services by:

  • Ensuring that the telephone general enquiries program (1 800 O-Canada) continues to provide accurate information and accessible services to Canadians. This includes, those served through various customized information services
  • Continuing to publish wait-times in real time for the 1 800 O-Canada service on Canada.ca to empower callers by giving them the data required to decide when it is best for them to call

The department will continue to improve outreach in communities with access barriers, including those with limited or no access to the Internet. The department will also continue to support and improve eServiceCanada, the online application for Social Insurance Number, the Outreach Support Centre, and the appointment booking system for clients who require in-person assistance.

In addition, the department will use Client Experience Feedback gathered through its annual Service Canada Client Experience Survey Project. Survey results will inform client service improvements by providing data on client service delivery needs. This includes improvements for clients who are vulnerable to experiencing difficulty using the service delivery system.

The department will work with federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous stakeholders through Service Delivery Partnerships. This will improve service delivery to Canadians by establishing new, or maintaining existing, service delivery partnerships, including partnerships delivering COVID-19 emergency programs.

Finally, the department will support Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) with the collection and transmission of biometric enrollments. Biometrics consists of a digital photo and fingerprint scan from foreign nationals who are renewing their visa, permit or immigration applications.

Gender-based analysis plus

The department analyzes results of its annual Service Canada Client Experience Survey project by gender and other client group variables including disability, newcomers, non-English or French speakers, clients living in rural areas, clients living in remote areas, youth, seniors and Indigenous identity. This analysis helps identify groups who have difficulty accessing service and identifying their needs. These results are used to improve access to services to apply for federal programs.

United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ESDC’s planned activities will continue to support Canada’s efforts to address the UN 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. Transforming and improving service delivery to Canadians contribute to these efforts. For examples include:

  • Promoting inclusive societies for sustainable development and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels (SDG 16)

Experimentation

The department will continue to experiment with how to help Canadians have a better online experience. This includes continued experimentation with Chatbot technology. The Passport services Chatbot will be included in this experiment.

Further, the department will use data from its annual Service Canada Client Experience Survey to test hypotheses related to service design changes. This includes whether changes will maintain or improve clients’ access to services.

Planned results for Information delivery and services for other departments

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and accurate government information and services that meet their needs

Departmental result indicator 1 of 3: 1 800 O-Canada information completeness, relevancy and accuracy assessment

Target: At least 85%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 94%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 93%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 91%

Departmental result indicator 2 of 3: Percentage of clients served in person who received assistance within 25 minutes

Target: At least 80%

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 79%

2018 to 2019 actual results: 85%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 84%

Departmental result indicator 3 of 3: Number of program services that meet their service standard targets (see note 1 below)

Target: 5

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 5 out of 5

2018 to 2019 actual results: 4 out of 5

2019 to 2020 actual results: 4 out of 5

Departmental result: Canadians can obtain a passport within Canada in a timely manner

Departmental result indicator: Percentage of travel documents and other passport services processed within standards

Target: At least 90% (see note 2 below)

Date to achieve target: March 2022

2017 to 2018 actual results: 100% (see note 3 below)

2018 to 2019 actual results: 100%

2019 to 2020 actual results: 100%

Notes

  1. Targets and baselines for service standards are based on historical results. They have not been changed to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meeting all 5 service standards for this core responsibility remains the target for fiscal year 2021 to 2022. However, the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to affect demand for services and service levels in fiscal year 2021 to 2022, and may consequently affect the department's ability to meet these service standards.
  2. This target is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the department and IRCC.
  3. The data has been rounded to the nearest full number, in this case 100%.
Table 9: Planned budgetary financial resources for Information delivery and services for other departments
Categories Main Estimates 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Planned Gross Spending 247,731,770 247,731,770 240,597,330 239,171,853
less: Planned Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 0 0 0
less: Planned Revenues netted against expenditures 0 0 0 0
Planned Net Spending 247,731,770 247,731,770 240,597,330 239,171,853
 

Note: Refer to ESDC's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including an explanation of gross planned spending.

Table 10: Planned human resources for Information delivery and services for other departments
2021 to 2022
planned full-time equivalents
2022 to 2023
planned full-time equivalents
2023 to 2024
planned full-time equivalents
2,411 2,369 2,361

Financial, human resources and performance information for ESDC’s program inventory is available in the GC Infobase.

Internal Services: planned results

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. These services are Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Management Services; Materiel Management Services; and Acquisition Management Services.

Planning highlights

In 2021 to 2022, the department will continue to support the Data Strategy to promote evidence-based decision-making. This will include using lessons learned to examine and inform the design and development of the Artificial Intelligence Strategy and a renewed Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Data Strategy. This will improve the use of data by programs in the department.

The department will also explore new ways of using technology, such as machine learning. The department will consider ethics and minimizing biases when adopting technologies. This will support policy analysis, research and evaluation activities and will help improve client service. In addition, the department will continue to share data with the public through Open Government and Open Data initiatives. This includes public reporting on key benefits and programs that support Canadians during periods of economic shock and recovery.

In addition, the department will support the collection, management and analysis of data. This will strengthen collaboration with key stakeholders to fill data gaps in important areas. It will also help the department better understand its clients, including vulnerable, marginalized and racialized Canadians.

The department will continue to pursue its commitment to foster a healthy, productive and inclusive workplace environment via the following initiatives:

  • Support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and changing workplace environment
  • Provide employees with better services and tools in mental health and wellbeing, and health and safety
  • Increase focus on recruitment, retention and development of a more diverse workforce and a culture of inclusiveness
  • Advance innovation and agility in learning design, development and delivery methods to provide accessible training
  • Continue to support prevention, management and resolution of ESDC employee pay issues

The department will continue to modernize financial management services. The department will continue to collaborate with the Canada Revenue Agency to modernize existing business processes and systems. This includes improving the integrity and quality of accounts receivable data for the department. Measures put in place to respond to the pandemic delayed the implementation of the Departmental Accounts Receivable project, but it is now on track for implementation in April 2021.

Implementing a modern and secure Information Technology (IT) infrastructure continues to be a priority. This will enable effective, efficient and timely availability of information.

In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department will continue to implement a more agile and mature IT environment. This will improve and modernize internal and public-facing services. The department will carry on with upgrades to hardware, software, and applications to stabilize some critical IT systems. To improve network performance, the department will implement Regional Communications Hubs to help deliver services faster and more effectively. Further, the department will improve its disaster recovery abilities to ensure that some critical services can be recovered in the event of a disaster at a datacenter location.

In addition, the department will continue to evolve modern, reliable and secure Information Management and IT systems in support of services for Canadians. This will include more secure IT environments in compliance with government policies on the handling of classified information. This will be done through a dedicated space using Cloud Service codes and the adoption of the Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure. A Cyber Security Operations Centre has been initiated, with responsibilities for security and monitoring of ESDC network environments (including cloud).

The department will continue the progress on the enterprise-wide Information Management Strategy and Roadmap. This will include new policies aligned to the government’s Policy on Service and Digital and ESDC’s Data Strategy. These policies will support the overall management of information and data.

The department’s IT Accessibility office will also continue to provide technology solutions for ESDC employees with disabilities in the workplace. This will help the department progress towards a barrier free work place.

In alignment with the Government of Canada Cloud First Adoption Strategy, the department will continue to look for opportunities to deliver advanced and innovative digital platforms and technology projects.

The department is committed to keeping employees healthy and safe and ensuring delivery of programs and services to Canadians. To support a strong security culture, the department will:

  • Review and update its emergency management structure and clarify the decision-making and information sharing processes
  • Assess potential vulnerabilities through an updated Business Impact Analysis and identify mitigation strategies
  • Procure a database that integrates all departmental emergency management information and generates reports for monitoring purposes. This would allow for faster and coordinated responses that minimize interruption to services and help the department recover faster
  • Enhance its security screening procedures so that positions are assigned the proper security levels. It will also heighten its security culture to empower employees to intuitively consider the protection of the department’s people, information and assets as part of their daily activities

Experimentation and innovation

  • The department is continuing to build on innovative methodologies and tools for the evaluation function. These innovations will help to better measure the impacts of departmental programs. By using data-driven analysis, the department can better understand the impact of labour market programs on Canadians’ employment and earnings. This results in evidence-based advice that supports program and policy development
  • The department continues to explore new ideas and innovative technologies in key areas of human resources such as recruitment. For example, the department is working with the Public Service Commission to create a candidate-screening algorithm using artificial intelligence (AI). The intent is to use this for large, entry-level hiring processes. This could help reduce the time it takes to hire candidates with needed skills and competencies
  • The department will continue to strengthen its existing foundations for evidence-based decision making. This will be done by using Behavioural Insights and experimentation. This will improve the department’s understanding of client behaviours and needs, and improve the quality of programs and services delivered by ESDC
Table 11: Planned budgetary financial resources for Internal Services
Categories Main Estimates 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Planned Gross Spending 994,208,569 994,208,569 899,079,534 881,451,004
less: Planned Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 0 0 0
less: Planned Revenues netted against expenditures 670,300,003 670,300,003 607,791,931 597,371,405
Planned Net Spending 323,908,566 323,908,566 291,287,603 284,079,599

Note: Refer to ESDC’s Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including an explanation of gross planned spending.

The variance in planned spending is mainly caused by a decrease in temporary resources namely for the Employment Insurance workload, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the CPP-Disability workload capacity.

Table 12: Planned human resources for Internal Services
2021 to 2022 Planned full-time equivalents 2022 to 2023 Planned full-time equivalents 2023 to 2024 Planned full-time equivalents
4,879 4,648 4,598

Note: The Full Time Equivalents variance is predominately driven by a decrease in temporary resources for the Employment Insurance workload.

Overall risks and mitigation

Canadians expect high quality, efficient and accessible delivery of programs and services. In response to COVID-19, the department launched several new income support programs while still delivering established ones. It successfully managed several risks in order to meet Canadians’ expectations.

The department’s operating environment has changed significantly due to COVID-19. It is uncertain whether some of the changes are temporary or will become new ways of doing business. The department will continue to face uncertainty during 2021-22, including when and how many employees return to the workplace.

The key risks facing the department and their mitigation strategies are briefly described below.

Information technology (IT) systems

IT systems play a crucial role in supporting service delivery to Canadians and to employees. Past decisions to defer maintenance and updates have increased the risk of systems failure. Systems failure would negatively impact the department’s ability to continue to deliver programs and services to Canadians.

The department relies heavily on third parties, including Shared Services Canada, other departments and commercial vendors, to maintain and operate its IT systems. The risks created by aging systems and the complexity of working with third parties are amplified by the speed and amount of change. The department must fix aging systems as it prepares to transition to more modern ones, all while delivering programs and services to Canadians without interruptions.

Modern applications need up-to-date technology. Deferred maintenance and upgrades mean that aging equipment and applications are not able to support planned future requirements. The difference between the technology we have now and what we require is called technical debt.

To mitigate the risk that technical debt could affect the delivery of services, the department put a technical debt remediation program in place, which is planned to continue until 2026. This program is working to upgrade network capacity and update the hardware and software used to deliver the department’s programs.

Cyber security

There is a risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information by individuals outside the department. The risk of unauthorized access can increase by using systems and tools that are not up-to-date or that are not fully mature.

Successful cyber attacks can:

  • Decrease the department’s ability to meet privacy commitments
  • Increase the department’s liability
  • Lead to a fraudulent use of sensitive information
  • Result in a loss of public confidence

The department will continue to closely monitor who is accessing what information, when and why.

As cyber-criminals become increasingly sophisticated, the department must remain extremely vigilant in managing this risk. The department will continue to implement new security tools. It will also continue to protect the department against cyber attacks through ongoing mandatory employee training and awareness campaigns.

Health and safety

All departmental employees have had to adapt to a drastically different work environment during fiscal year 2020 to 2021. The department expects these changes to continue for at least some part of fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

Employees are experiencing increased levels of stress. Constant and sustained changes as well as uncertainties related to the pandemic and the modernization agenda are all contributing factors.

Furthermore, most employees now work at home. Employees who have returned to the workplace have had to adopt new measures to maintain the health and safety of both clients and colleagues. Many have also had to manage a greatly increased workload to ensure that Canadians receive benefits in a timely manner.

There is a risk that these stressors will lead to deteriorating mental and physical health among employees. This may result in challenges meeting operational demands.

The department recognizes the valuable contributions of its employees and their efforts in responding to the pandemic. It is putting in place several measures to engage and support employees and managers. These measures include:

  • Guidance products and workshops
  • Protocols for safe and healthy work places
  • Tools and technology that facilitate telework
  • Mental health supports

Given the increased risks related to mental health, the department will continue to implement the Workplace Mental Health Action Plan during 2021to 2022. It will also continue to collaborate with external partners on common issues related to the pandemic.

Employee compensation

The move to the Phoenix pay system caused pay issues for many employees. The department is working to resolve these issues, but there is a risk of delays because many of the needed actions are outside of its direct control. Delays in resolving pay issues frustrate employees and may lead to serious hardships.

To address this risk and avoid further delays, the department is continuing to increase its capacity and has created a specialist support team. This team provides direct support to employees experiencing pay issues. It also provides support to managers to limit the chances of new pay issues occurring.

Fraud

Fraud and wrongdoing are serious risks that could result in:

  • The issuance of inappropriate benefit payments
  • Inappropriate access to or disclosure of Canadians’ personal information
  • Loss of Canadians’ trust

The department can never eliminate the risk of fraud and wrongdoing. However, to minimize the incidence of fraud and wrongdoing, ESDC has measures in place to monitor, prevent, detect and respond to these threats. In order to avoid enabling potential fraud and wrongdoing, the department does not disclose details about its monitoring, prevention, detection and response efforts.

Information management and privacy

To deliver its mandate, the department needs to collect and store considerable amounts of information about Canadians. There is a risk that this information may not be adequately saved, managed and protected. This could be due to:

  • a lack of compliance with or misinterpretation of policies and directives
  • an inconsistent application of safe information management practices
  • a lack of understanding of existing processes

Departmental employees play a key role in safeguarding information. To play their role effectively, employees need to have a clear understanding of their information management responsibilities and clear direction on processes and procedures.

To address this risk, the department developed the Information Strategy 2018-2023, which is designed to improve information management at all levels. The Strategy intends to change how employees think about information management and how they handle information. It will also implement changes in supporting technology.

Emergency preparedness and business continuity

Like many organizations, the department faces threats that may prevent it from keeping its offices open and critical systems working. These threats include natural disasters, workplace violence and the compromise of sensitive information. This past year, the department faced a serious challenge to its business operations with the COVID-19 pandemic.

To reduce the impact of disruptions, the department has response plans in place and trains employees on their roles. The department also practices the planned responses on a regular basis to assess their adequacy and make changes as needed.

IT systems availability is also key to responding to disruptions. To help reduce the impact of service interruptions, the department has launched an IT Service Continuity Management Program. This program has plans in place to ensure that all critical services are able to recover quickly in case of disaster.

Fall Economic Statement 2020

A proposed investment from the Fall Economic Statement, released in November 2020, also falls under this Core Responsibility:

  • Proposed funding for Employment and Social Development Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency to increase the capacity to detect, investigate and address cases of fraud or misrepresentation related to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the department’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for the upcoming year with the current and previous years’ actual spending.

Planned spending

Table 13: Financial resources in dollars
Planned spending Main Estimates 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Planned Gross Spending 84,492,837,518 170,783,615,385 159,946,008,290 165,215,653,012
less: Planned Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 86,290,777,867 83,682,222,407 85,687,907,975
less: Planned Revenues netted against expenditures 2,053,116,628 2,053,116,628 1,794,839,279 1,742,139,551
Planned Net Spending 82,439,720,890 82,439,720,890 74,468,946,604 77,785,605,486

Note: Refer to ESDC's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including an explanation of gross planned spending.

For fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the department’s planned expenditures on programs and services total $170.8 billion. Of that amount, $162 billion will directly benefit Canadians through statutory transfer payment programs. These include Employment Insurance (EI), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), the Canada Student Loans Program and Canada Apprentice Loans, the Canada Education Savings Program, the Canada Disability Savings Program and the Canada Recovery Benefit.

Figure 1: Break down of expenditures – Consolidated total: $170,783.6M
Figure 1: Break down of expenditures – Consolidated total: $170,783.6M
Text description of figure 1

This pie chart shows a breakdown of planned spending for fiscal year 2021 to 2022 and the percentage that each spending category represents.

  • Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, and Allowances: $62,370.7 M or 36.5%
  • Canada Pension Plan: $54,229.6 M or 31.8%
  • Employment Insurance: $30,089.9 M or 17.6%
  • Canada Recovery Benefit/Sickness Benefit/Caregiving Benefit: $10,335.0 M or 6.1%
  • Canada Student Loans/Other Statutory Payments $4,929.0 M or 2.9%
  • Gross Operating Expenditures: $3,763.4 M or 2.2%
  • Voted grants and contributions: $3,107.6 M or 1.8%
  • Other: $1,958.4 M or 1.1%
Figure 2: Detailed view of expenditures for fiscal year 2021 to 2022
Figure 2: Detailed  view of expenditures for fiscal year 2021 to 2022
Text description of figure 2

This table shows gross expenditures planned for fiscal year 2021 to 2022 under budgetary items, as well as under statutory transfer payments, in millions of dollars.

Budgetary

Net operating costs: $1,710.3 M

  • Note: This amount includes:
    • $1,076.9 million in net voted operating expenditures
    • $280.8 million in contributions to employee benefit plans
    • $223.5 million for delivery service to the public on behalf of partners under the Department of Employment and Social Development Act
    • $94.9 million in statutory administrative fees related to Canada Student Loans and Apprentice Loans
    • $31.4 million in net expenditures for Federal Workers' Compensation
    • $2.8 million for other items

Recoveries: $2,053.1M, which include the following:

  • Canada Pension Plan: $453.2 M
  • Employment Insurance Operating Account: $1,599.0 M
  • Government Employee Compensation Act: $0.9 M

Gross operating costs: $3,763.4 M

Voted grants and contributions: $3,107.6 M

Total gross expenditures: $6,871.0 M

Other - Workers' Compensation and EI/CPP charges and recoveries: $1,958.4 M

Statutory transfer payments

Grants and Contributions: $77,621.8 M, which include the following:

  • Old Age Security: $47,067.4 M
  • Guaranteed Income Supplement: $14,631.7 M
  • Allowance: $671.6 M
  • Other statutory payments: $ 15, 251.1 M, comprised of the following:
    • Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit: $4,525.0 M
    • Canada Recovery Benefit: $3,430.0 M
    • Canada Student Loans Program and Canada Apprentice Loans: $3,009.1 M
    • Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit: $2,380.0 M
    • Canada Education Savings Grant: $980.0 M
    • Canada Disability Savings Program: $688.7 M
    • Canada Learning Bond: $180.0 M
    • Wage Earner Protection Program: $49.3 M
    • Persons with Disabilities – One time B: $9.0 M

Canada Pension Plan Benefits: $54,229.6 M

Employment Insurance Benefits: $30,089.9 M, which include:

  • Part I benefits: $27,559.0 M
  • Part II benefits: $2,530.9 M

Other Specified Purpose Accounts: $12.9 M [Note: This amount includes payments related to the Government Annuities Account and the Civil Service Insurance Fund.]

Total Statutory Transfer Payments: $161,954.2 M

2021–22 Budgetary planned gross spending summary (dollars)

The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net planned spending for fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

Table 14: 2021-22 Planned gross spending summary (dollars)
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services Planned gross spending 2021 to 2022 Less: Planned gross spending in specified purpose accounts 2021 to 2022 Less: Planned revenues netted against expenditures 2021 to 2022 Planned net spending 2021 to 2022
Core Responsibility 1: Social Development 573,455,174 N/A N/A 573,455,174
Core Responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits 117,935,559,921 54,229,562,422 338,566,133 63,367,431,366
Core Responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment 48,891,943,794 30,102,833,577 1,043,350,492 17,745,759,725
Core Responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations 182,334,289 N/A 900,000 181,434,289
Core Responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments 247,731,770 N/A N/A 247,731,770
Subtotal 167,831,024,948 84,332,395,999 1,382,816,625 82,115,812,324
Internal Services 994,208,569 N/A 670,300,003 323,908,566
Other Costs* 1,958,381,868 1,958,381,868 N/A N/A
Total 170,783,615,385 86,290,777,867 2,053,116,628 82,439,720,890

Notes: Refer to the Department's Financial framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including explanation of gross planned spending.

*Other costs include administrative costs of other government departments charted to Employment Insurance Operating Account and the Canada Pension Plan. They also include Employment Insurance doubtful account and recoveries from other government departments.

ESDC’s Financial framework

The department has a complex financial structure, with various funding mechanisms used to deliver its mandate. The department is financed by four main sources of funds:

  1. Appropriated funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF)
  2. The Employment Insurance Operating Account
  3. The CPP
  4. Crown corporations and other government departments for the administration of the Government Employee Compensation Act

Planned expenditures related to the EI Operating Account and the CPP, as well as planned expenditures that are recovered from Crown corporations and other government departments for the administration of the Government Employee Compensation Act, are excluded from ESDC’s Main and Supplementary Estimates and net planned spending because they are not voted by Parliament.

EI and CPP benefits and related administrative costs are charged against revenues earmarked in separate specified purpose accounts.

  • The EI program provides financial support and other assistance to eligible workers and is entirely financed by contributions from employees and employers.
  • The CPP is funded by the contributions of employees, employers, and self-employed persons and by the revenue earned on plan investments.

Administrative costs incurred by the department in the delivery of programs related to EI and CPP are charged to their respective specified purpose accounts and reported as revenues netted against expenditures under the department.

The Department of Employment and Social Development Act was amended in June 2018 to broaden the department’s mandate to include service delivery to the public with a view to improve services to Canadians. The department now has the legislative authority to deliver services to the public for partners on a cost-recovery basis as well as to deliver select services for the Government of Canada. As a result, departmental costs related to the delivery of programs and services on behalf of other government departments, such as passport services, which were reported in previous years as revenues netted against ESDC’s expenditures, will now be reported under a new statutory authority.

These items are included in the department’s gross planned spending to provide readers with the full cost to government of the department’s programs and services. It also presents a complete picture of the resources managed by ESDC to deliver its mandate, even if these expenditures are ultimately recorded under separate legal entities.

The sources of funds, including specified purpose accounts, for each of the department’s core responsibilities are as follows:

Core responsibility 1: Social Development

  • Consolidated Revenue Fund

Core responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits

  • Consolidated Revenue Fund; and
  • CPP (in gross planned spending only for CPP benefits and related administrative costs).

Core responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment

  • Consolidated Revenue Fund; and
  • EI Operating Account (in gross planned spending only for EI benefits and related administrative costs).

Core responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations

  • Consolidated Revenue Fund; and
  • Crown corporation and other departments

Core responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments

  • Consolidated Revenue Fund
  • Revenues from partners using legislative cost-recovery authority to deliver programs and services on their behalf

Internal Services

  • Consolidated Revenue Fund;
  • CPP (in gross planned spending only for CPP administrative costs); and
  • EI Operating Account (in gross planned spending only for EI administrative costs).

Financial highlights

The department expects an overall decrease of $5.6 billion in gross spending from fiscal year 2021 to 2022 to fiscal year 2023 to 2024. This can be explained mainly by the fact that funding will no longer be required to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The department normally shows regular increases of funding through planning years due to yearly increases to CPP benefits and OAS. Although the trend has remained the same for those components, the large decrease to pandemic funding offsets these increases.

To summarize the overall funding decrease over the planning years: A reduction of $10.3 billion dollars is expected in fiscal year 2023 to 2024 as compared to fiscal year 2021 to 2022. This is the result of increased funding only in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 for benefits to be provided as part of the department’s response to COVID-19.

EI is also expected to decrease throughout the next planning years. The reason for this decrease is that some EI benefits were replaced by the temporary Emergency Response Benefit (ERB). This explains the decrease in EI benefits and measures of $6.8 billion between fiscal year 2021 to 2022, to fiscal year 2023 to 2024. In fall 2020, ERB ended and EI payments resumed with temporary changes to the EI program that will be in place for one year. This will result in an increase in EI benefits in fiscal year 2021 to 2022. It is expected that the EI trends will return to normal levels in future years once the effect of the pandemic on EI is no longer an issue.

Other smaller decreases from fiscal year 2021 to 2022 to fiscal year 2023 to 2024 also contribute to the $5.6 billion overall reduction:

  • A decrease of $0.4 billion to other statutory planned spending such as the Canada Student Loans Program;
  • A decrease of $0.6 billion in voted grants and contributions planned spending is forecasted and is mainly explained by programs such as the Youth Employment Skills Strategy. This program has received temporary funding in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 to support youth throughout economic recovery with quality work experiences. This funding will decrease over the following planning years. The decrease is also due to the sunsetting of part of the funding for the Workforce development Adjustment; and
  • A decrease of $0.7 billion in net operating planned spending is mainly attributable to the sunsetting of temporary funding for programs such as EI workload, parts of the Youth Employment Skills Strategy program and other programs that are currently being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As offsets to these large reductions, planned CPP benefits will reach $60.4 billion in fiscal year 2023 to 2024. This represents an increase of $6.2 billion compared to fiscal year 2021 to 2022 planned spending of $54.2 billion. This increase is mainly attributed to wage and inflation assumptions. OAS benefits, including Guaranteed Income Supplement and Allowances, are expected to reach $69.4 billion in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, which represents an increase of $7.0 billion from the 2021 to 2022 planned spending of $62.4 billion. This increase is associated with a higher number of beneficiaries due to the aging population and planned increases in the average monthly benefits.

Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

The following tables show actual, forecast and planned spending, for each core responsibility and Internal Services, for the years relevant to the current planning year. The first table shows the gross amounts, while the second table shows the net amounts.

Table 15: Planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services, gross (dollars)
Core responsibilities and Internal Services Actual expenditures 2018 to 2019 Actual expenditures 2019 to 2020 Forecast 2020 to 2021 Main estimates 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Core responsibility 1:
Social development
716,719,128 921,816,281 2,653,558,558 573,455,174 573,455,174 660,667,247 665,752,896
Core responsibility 2:
Pensions and benefits
100,963,229,259 106,337,930,426 114,927,295,843 63,705,997,499 117,935,559,921 124,330,652,209 131,144,273,224
Core responsibility 3: Learning, skills development and employment 25,597,959,995 33,778,359,238 134,149,045,406 18,789,110,217 48,891,943,794 31,665,708,921 30,111,945,387
Core responsibility 4: Working conditions and workplace relations 320,589,879 169,857,914 313,613,860 182,334,289 182,334,289 178,895,665 179,906,243
Core responsibility 5: Information delivery and services for other departments 203,136,512 228,440,412 263,761,944 247,731,770 247,731,770 240,597,330 239,171,853
Subtotal 127,801,634,773 141,436,404,271 252,307,275,611 83,498,628,949 167,831,024,948 157,076,521,372 162,341,049,603
Internal Services 897,483,438 1,019,312,762 1,129,334,519 994,208,569 994,208,569 899,079,534 881,451,004
Other costs* 1,564,951,081 1,953,487,716 2,076,728,490 N/A 1,958,381,868 1,970,407,384 1,993,152,405
Revenues netted against expenditures N/A N/A N/A (2,053,116,628) N/A N/A N/A
Total gross planned spending 130,264,069,292 144,409,204,749 255,513,338,620 82,439,720,890 170,783,615,385 159,946,008,290 165,215,653,012

Notes:

Refer to the Department's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including explanation of gross planned spending

Other costs included administrative costs of other government departments charged to the Employment Insurance Operation Account and the Canada Pension Plan. They also include Employment Insurance doubtful accounts and recoveries from other government departments.

Table 16: Planning summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services- Net (Dollars)
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services Actual expenditures 2018 to 2019 Actual expenditures 2019-20 Forecast 2020 to 2021 Main estimates 2021-22 Planned spending 2021 to 2022 Planned spending 2022 to 2023 Planned spending 2023 to 2024
Core responsibility 1:
Social development
716,719,128 921,816,281 2,653,558,558 573,455,174 573,455,174 660,667,247 665,752,896
Core responsibility 2:
Pensions and benefits
54,181,915,121 57,084,637,513 62,985,758,105 63,367,431,366 63,367,431,366 66,793,649,169 70,439,528,231
Core responsibility 3: Learning, skills development and employment 5,773,734,933 11,048,356,538 103,375,864,086 17,745,759,725 17,745,759,725 6,304,749,590 5,978,066,664
Core responsibility 4: Working conditions and workplace relations 175,398,724 169,172,902 187,713,860 181,434,289 181,434,289 177,995,665 179,006,243
Core responsibility 5: Information delivery and services for other departments 74,870,918 228,440,412 263,761,944 247,731,770 247,731,770 240,597,330 239,171,853
Subtotal 60,922,638,824 69,452,423,646 169,466,656,553 82,115,812,324 82,115,812,324 74,177,659,001 77,501,525,887
Internal Services 279,511,995 376,339,480 359,575,998 323,908,566 323,908,566 291,287,603 284,079,599
Total net planned spending 61,202,150,819 69,828,763,126 169,826,232,551 82,439,720,890 82,439,720,890 74,468,946,604 77,785,605,486

Refer to the Department's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile.

Departmental spending trend graph

This graph illustrates the trend in departmental spending from fiscal year 2018 to 2019 to fiscal year 2023 to 2024. The table following the graph provides the actual figures that were used to produce the graph.

Figure 3: Departmental spending trend graph
Figure 3:  Departmental spending trend graph
Text description of figure 3

This bar chart illustrates the actual statutory and voted spending for fiscal years 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020, those forecasted for fiscal year 2020 to 2021, and those planned for fiscal years 2021 to 2022, 2022 to 2023, and 2023 to 2024.

Actual spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019 - statutory: $57,984,027,949

Actual spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019 - voted: $3,218,122,870

Total actual spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019: $61,202,150,819

Actual spending for fiscal year 2019 to 2020 - statutory: $65,760,590,856

Actual spending for fiscal year 2019 to 2020 - voted: $4,068,172,270

Total actual spending for fiscal year 2019 to 2020: $69,828,763,126

Forecasted spending for fiscal year 2020 to 2021 – statutory: $165,466,466,903

Forecasted spending for fiscal year 2020 to 2021 – voted: $4,359,785,648

Forecasted spending for fiscal year 2020 to 2021 - $169,826,232,551

Planned spending for fiscal year 2021 to 2022 - statutory: $78,255,245,276

Planned spending for fiscal year 2021 to 2022 - voted: $4,184,475,614

Total planned spending for fiscal year 2021 to 2022: $82,439,720,890

Planned spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 - statutory: $70,788,992,965

Planned spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 - voted: $3,679,953,639

Total planned spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023: $74,468,946,604

Planned spending for fiscal year 2023 to 2024 - statutory: $74,511,964,424

Planned spending for fiscal year 2023 to 2024 - voted: $3,273,641,062

Total planned spending for fiscal year 2023 to 2024: $77,785,605,486

Table 17: Departmental Spending Trend: Total Net Consolidated Expenditures (dollars)
Categories Actual Spending 2018 to 2019 Actual Spending 2019 to 2020 Forecast 2020 to 2021 Planned Spending 2021 to 2022 Planned Spending 2022 to 2023 Planned Spending 2023 to 2024
Statutory 57,984,027,949 65,760,590,856 165,466,446,903 78,255,245,276 70,788,992,965 74,511,964,424
Voted * 3,218,122,870 4,068,172,270 4,359,785,648 4,184,475,614 3,679,953,639 3,273,641,062
Total 61,202,150,819 69,828,763,126 169,826,232,551 82,439,720,890 74,468,946,604 77,785,605,486

*Voted expenditures include debt-write offs in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21

Planned Human Resources

The following table shows actual, forecast and planned full-time equivalents (FTEs) for each core responsibility in Employment and Social Development Canada’s departmental results framework and to Internal Services for the years relevant to the current planning year.

Table 18: Human resources planning summary for Core responsibilities and Internal Services (full-time equivalents)
Core responsibilities and Internal Services Actual 2018 to 2019 Actual 2019 to 2020 Forecast 2020 to 2021 Planned Spending 2021 to 2022 Planned Spending 2022 to 2023 Planned Spending 2023 to 2024
Core responsibility 1:
Social development
382 457 559 566 560 555
Core responsibility 2:
Pensions and benefits
5,333 5,665 6,642 6,221 6,068 4,805
Core responsibility 3: Learning, skills development and employment 10,779 10,954 12,172 12,193 9,848 9,749
Core responsibility 4: Working conditions and workplace relations 668 690 786 801 784 782
Core Responsibility 5: Information delivery and services for other departments 2,036 2,086 2,513 2,411 2,329 2,361
Subtotal 19,198 19,852 22,492 22,192 19,629 18,252
Internal Services 4,598 4,855 4,949 4,879 4,648 4,598
Total 23,796 24,707 27,441 27,071 24,277 22,850

In 2023 to 2024, the department’s full-time equivalents (FTEs) will decrease overall by 4,221 compared to 2021 to 2022. This is mainly explained by the following:

  • Social Development: the decrease of 11 FTEs is mainly due to temporary resources for the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy
  • Pensions and Benefits: the decrease of 1,416 FTEs is a result of a reduction in temporary resources provided to address OAS and CPP workload issues
  • Learning, Skills Development and Employment: the reduction of 2,444 FTEs is mainly related to temporary resources provided for EI workload
  • Working Conditions and Workplace Relations: the decrease of 19 FTEs is a result of a decrease in temporary resources for the Support in Business resumption for federal jurisdiction employers, a COVID-19 funding related program
  • Information Delivery and Services to Other Departments: the decrease of 50 FTEs is mainly due to a decrease in temporary resources provided for Passport modernization and ePassport, which were temporary resources until 2022 to 2023
  • Internal Services: the decrease of 281 FTEs is mainly a result of the decrease of temporary resources associated with CPP workload issues and the Employment Insurance workload

Due to timing issues, not all of the department’s funding is reflected in the Departmental Plan. Funding is expected to be renewed through other financial allocations that would keep temporary resources in place.

Estimates by vote

Information on Employment and Social Development’s organizational appropriations is available in the fiscal year 2021 to 2022 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of Employment and Social Development Canada’s operations for fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

The amounts for forecast and planned results in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The amounts for forecast and planned spending presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

The Future-oriented Condensed Statement of Operations includes the transactions of the Employment Insurance Operating (EIO) Account, a consolidated specified purpose account which includes revenues credited, and expenses charged, under the EI Act. The accounts of the EIO Account have been consolidated with those of ESDC and all inter-organizational balances and transactions have been eliminated. However, the CPP is excluded from ESDC's reporting entity because changes to CPP require the agreement of two thirds of participating provinces and it is therefore not controlled by the Government.

A more detailed future oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on Employment and Social Development Canada’s website.

Table 19: Future‑oriented Condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2022 (dollars)
Financial information 2020 to 2021 Forecast results 2021 to 2022 Planned results Difference (2021 to 2022 planned results minus 2020 to 2021 forecast results)
Total expenses 203,433,673,720 115,840,434,199 (87,593,239,521)
Total revenues 22,354,756,594 24,539,292,805 2,184,536,211
Net cost of operations 181,078,917,126 91,301,141,394 (89,777,775,732)

The decrease of $89,777.8 million in the 2021 to 2022 planned results of the net cost of operations, when compared to the 2020 to 2021 forecast results, is primarily driven by:

  • A decrease of $85,622.9 million in Learning, Skills Development and Employment expenses mainly due to the conclusion of temporary measures such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, the EI Emergency Response Benefit and the Emergency Student Benefit in 2020 to 2021, as well as other temporary program funding as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic decrease in 2021 to 2022. The decrease is partially offset by new temporary funding, such as the Canada Recovery Benefits that began mid-year in 2020 to 2021 and are expected to continue into 2021 to 2022.
  • A decrease of $2,083.8 million in Social Development expenses mainly due to an expected reduction in temporary program funding, such as funding for Persons with Disabilities, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic decrease in 2021 to 2022.
  • An increase of $2,141.0 million in EI revenues is mainly due to projected future growth in employment coupled with increases in earnings and maximum insurable earnings.

Statutory annual reports

Employment Insurance Part II

Activities conducted under Part II of the EI Act help individuals in Canada prepare for, find and maintain employment. Under the umbrella of Employment Benefits and Support Measures, these activities include programs and services delivered by provinces and territories under Labour Market Development Agreements, Pan-Canadian activities, and functions of the National Employment Service.

Employment Benefits are longer-term interventions focused on providing skills or work experience required to regain employment. Under the Labour Market Development Agreements, provinces and territories can provide Employment Benefits similar to the following five benefit types outlined in the EI Act: Skills Development; Targeted Wage Subsidies; Self-Employment; Job Creation Partnerships; and Targeted Earnings Supplements.

Part II of the EI Act authorizes three support measures: Employment Assistance Services, Labour Market Partnerships, which include Employer Sponsored Training, and Research and Innovation. Under the Labour Market Development Agreements, provinces and territories deliver these measures at regional and local levels, while the department retains responsibility for Pan-Canadian delivery of Labour Market Partnerships and Research and Innovation.

More detailed information on EI Part II is available on the department’s website and the annual EI Monitoring and Assessment Report made available publically online

Financial data

For fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the total EI Part II expenditure authority of $2.555 billion represents 0.37% of the total estimated insurable earnings figure of $699 billion. This represents a lower level of expenditures than the 0.8% ceiling imposed under the EI Act, which is estimated at $5.592 billion in 2021 to 2022. The amount of reinvestment reached maturity at $800 million in 2000 to 2001.

Table 20: 2021 to 2022 Employment Insurance Part II Expenditure Plan (Notional as of January 25, 2021 and pending concurrence by the Minister of Financial and formal Treasury Board approval.)
($) Base Re-Investment Budget 2017 * Total plan
Newfoundland and Labrador 53,713,889 73,086,000 15,303,805 142,103,694
Nova Scotia 46,780,819 30,348,000 16,562,488 93,691,307
New Brunswick 46,151,002 42,116,000 16,196,035 104,463,037
Prince Edward Island 13,473,607 10,022,000 3,613,494 27,109,101
Quebec 304,549,338 248,071,000 105,126,569 657,746,907
Ontario 385,463,485 184,097,000 141,584,631 711,145,116
Manitoba 33,973,205 10,233,000 13,347,704 57,553,909
Saskatchewan 28,459,997 9,862,000 12,685,583 51,007,580
Alberta 110,638,434 35,921,000 54,093,527 200,652,961
Nunavut 1,759,795 954,000 517,105 3,230,900
Northwest Territories 1,263,225 1,552,000 593,041 3,408,266
British Columbia 121,773,313 151,732,000 44,970,363 318,475,676
Yukon 1,999,891 2,006,000 405,655 4,411,546
Total N/A N/A N/A 2,375,000,000
Pan-Canadian Activities** N/A N/A N/A 154,869,877
Funds available for Employment Benefits and Support Measures 1,271,031,877 800,000,000 453,320,000 2,529,869,877

*Budget 2017 announced an additional $1.8 billion investment in the Labour Market Development Agreements over six years (2017-2018 to 2022-2023), to help more Canadians access EI-funded skills training and employment supports. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, provinces and territories will receive an additional $425 million to help Canadians prepare for, find, advance in, and keep good jobs.

**The amount for Pan-Canadian activities includes the ongoing envelope of $150,867,575 minus the permanent conversion to operating of $24,317,698. The amount for Pan-Canadian activities also includes $28.32 million for the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training program and $5.518 million for which a temporary conversion of EI Part II Pan-Canadian program funds to operating funds is being sought to fund the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform.

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate ministers

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough
The Honourable Ahmed Hussen
The Honourable Filomena Tassi
The Honourable Deb Schulte

Institutional head

Graham Flack, Deputy Minister

Ministerial portfolio

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Minister of Labour
Minister of Seniors

Enabling instrument(s)

Department of Employment and Social Development Act (S.C. 2005, c. 34); additional information on acts and regulations can be found on the Employment and Social Development Canada website.

Year of incorporation / commencement

2005

Other

For more information on the department’s role, please visit the Employment and Social Development Canada website.

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on the Employment and Social Development Canada’s website.

For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Ministers' mandate letters.

Reporting framework

Employment and Social Development Canada’s approved departmental results framework and program inventory for fiscal year 2021 to 2022 are as follows.

Core responsibility 1: Social development

Description: Increase inclusion and opportunities for participation of Canadians in their communities

Departmental result 1 of 5: Homelessness is prevented and reduced

Indicator: Reduction in the estimated number of shelter users who are chronically homeless

Departmental result 2 of 5: Not-for-profit organizations, communities and other groups have an enhanced capacity to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the engagement of seniors and support for children and families

Indicator: Newly developed partnerships as a percentage of all partnerships developed by recipient organizations to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, children and families and other vulnerable populations

Departmental result 3 of 5: Barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities are removed

Indicator: Number of community spaces and workplaces that are more accessible due to Enabling Accessibility Fund funding

Departmental result 4 of 5: Access to early learning and child care is increased

Indicator: Number of children in regulated child care spaces and/or early learning programs and number of children receiving subsidies or other financial supports

Departmental result 5 of 5: Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

Indicator: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Social Development programs

Program Inventory:

  • Reaching Home
  • Social Development Partnerships Program
  • New Horizons for Seniors Program
  • Enabling Accessibility Fund
  • Early Learning and Child Care
  • Indigenous Early Learning Child Care Transformation Initiative
  • Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime
  • Accessible Canada Initiative
  • Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program
  • Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy
  • Strategic Engagement and Research Program

Core responsibility 2: Pensions and benefits

Description: Assist Canadians in maintaining income for retirement, and provide financial benefits to survivors, people with disabilities and their families

Departmental result 1 of 3: Seniors have income support for retirement

Indicator 1 of 4: Percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security pension in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors

Indicator 2 of 4: Percentage of seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors

Indicator 3 of 4: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors aged 70+ receiving retirement benefits

Indicator 4 of 4: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors aged 70+ receiving retirement benefits

Departmental result 2 of 3: People with disabilities and their families have financial support

Indicator 1 of 3: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors who have contributory eligibility for Canada Pension Plan disability benefits and therefore have access to financial support in the event of a severe and prolonged disability

Indicator 2 of 3: Percentage of Canadians eligible for the Disability Tax Credit who have a Registered Disability Savings Plan to encourage private savings

Indicator 3 of 3: Percentage of Registered Disability Savings Plan beneficiaries that have received a grant and/or a bond to assist them and their families to save for their long-term financial security

Departmental result 3 of 3: Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

Indicator 1 of 4: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan retirement benefits paid within the first month of entitlement

Indicator 2 of 4: Percentage of decisions on applications for a Canada Pension Plan disability benefit issued within 120 calendar days

Indicator 3 of 4: Percentage of Old Age Security basic benefits paid within the first month of entitlement

Indicator 4 of 4: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Pension and Benefits programs

Program inventory:

  • Old Age Security
  • Canada Pension Plan
  • Canada Disability Savings Program

Core responsibility 3: Learning, skills development and employment

Description: Help Canadians access post-secondary education, obtain the skills and training needed to participate in a changing labour market, and provide supports to those who are temporarily unemployed

Departmental result 1 of 6: Canadians access education, training and lifelong learning supports to gain the skills and work experience they need

Indicator 1 of 6: Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports through federally administered programs

Indicator 2 of 6: Number of Canadians receiving provincially or territorially delivered skills training and/or employment services supported by Government of Canada funding transfers

Indicator 3 of 6: Employment or returns to school following training/supports through federally administered programs

Indicator 4 of 6: Employment or returns to school following provincially or territorially delivered skills training and/or employment services supported by Government of Canada funding transfers

Indicator 5 of 6: Percentage of Canadians young adults that are enrolled in university or college

Indicator 6 of 6: Percentage change in Canadians aged 25 to 64 enrolled in university or college

Departmental result 2 of 6: Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market

Indicator 1 of 4: Difference in the employment rate between women and men

Indicator 2 of 4: Difference in the employment rate of Indigenous peoples (First Nations status and non-status, Inuit and Métis) and non-Indigenous peoples

Indicator 3 of 4: Difference in the employment rate between persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities

Indicator 4 of 4: Difference in the employment rate gap between visible minority group members and the non-visible minority population

Departmental result 3 of 6: Canadians receive financial support during employment transitions such as job loss, illness, or maternity/parental leave

Indicator 1 of 2: Percentage of workers losing their job in the previous year that were eligible for Employment Insurance

Indicator 2 of 2: Percentage of Employment Insurance claimants finding employment before the end of their benefit entitlement

Departmental result 4 of 6: Students, including those from low- and middle-income families, use federally funded supports to help them participate in post-secondary education

Indicator 1 of 2: Percentage of low- and middle-income Canadian young adults participating in Post-Secondary Education (PSE)

Indicator 2 of 2: Annual percentage of beneficiaries under the age of 18 who receive an education savings incentive available only to those from low- or middle-income families

Departmental result 5 of 6: Student borrowers are able to repay their federal student debt

Indicator: Percentage of loans in repayment that are paid each year

Departmental result 6 of 6: Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

Indicator 1 of 5: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Learning, Skills Development and Employment programs

Indicator 2 of 5: Percentage of Employment Insurance benefit payments or non-benefit notifications issued within 28 days of filing

Indicator 3 of 5: Percentage of Employment Insurance requests for reconsideration reviewed within 30 days of filing

Indicator 4 of 5: Percentage of Social Insurance Numbers applied for through the Newborn Registration Service issued within 10 business days

Indicator 5 of 5: Percentage of registrations to My Service Canada Account through Trusted Digital Identities in participating provinces/territories

Program inventory:

  • Employment Insurance
  • Labour Market Development Agreements
  • Workforce Development Agreements
  • Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
  • Job Bank
  • Youth Employment and Skills Strategy
  • Skills and Partnership Fund
  • Literacy and Essential Skills
  • Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program
  • Student Work Placement Program
  • Union Training and Innovation Program
  • Sectoral Initiatives Program
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program
  • Foreign Credential Recognition Program
  • Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities
  • Canada Student Loans Program and Canada Apprentice Loans
  • Canada Education Savings Program
  • Apprenticeship Grants
  • Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship (Red Seal Program)
  • Canada Service Corps
  • Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness (STAR) Program
  • Future Skills
  • Support for Student Learning
  • Canada Emergency Response Benefit

Core responsibility 4: Working conditions and workplace relations

Description: Promotes safe, healthy, fair and inclusive work conditions and cooperative workplace relations

Departmental result 1 of 4: Workplaces are safe and healthy

Indicator: Number of health and safety violations identified under the Canada Labour Code (Part II) per 1,000 federally regulated employees

Departmental result 2 of 4: Work conditions are fair and inclusive

Indicator 1 of 2: Percentage of Legislated Employment Equity Program employers whose representation equals or surpasses Canadian labour market availability for 2+ designated groups or who demonstrated progress towards representation since the previous reporting period

Indicator 2 of 2: Three year average number of founded violations identified under Part III of the Canada Labour Code per 1,000 federally regulated employees

Departmental result 3 of 4: Labour relations are cooperative

Indicator: Percentage of labour disputes settled under the Canada Labour Code (Part I) without work stoppages, where parties were assisted by Labour Program officers

Departmental result 4 of 4: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

Indicator 1 of 5: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Working Conditions and Workplace Relations programs

Indicator 2 of 5: Percentage of occupational health and safety cases each fiscal year that are finalized within 120 days (excluding prosecutions, appeals, and technical surveys)

Indicator 3 of 5: Percentage of unjust dismissal complaints that are finalized within 180 days

Indicator 4 of 5: Percentage of conciliators assigned under the Canada Labour Code within 15 calendar days of receiving requests that are compliant with Canada Industrial Relations Regulations

Indicator 5 of 5: Percentage of initial Wage Earner Protection Program payments and non-payment notifications issued within 35 calendar days

Program inventory:

  • Labour Relations
  • Federal Workers’ Compensation
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • Workplace Equity
  • Labour Standards
  • Wage Earner Protection Program
  • International Labour Affairs

Core responsibility 5: Information delivery and services for other departments

Description: Provide information to the public on the programs of the Government of Canada and the department, and provide services on behalf of other government departments

Departmental result 1 of 2: Clients receive high quality, timely and accurate government information and services that meet their needs

Indicator 1 of 3: 1 800 O-Canada information completeness, relevancy and accuracy assessment

Indicator 2 of 3: Percentage of clients served in person who received assistance within 25 minutes

Indicator 3 of 3: Number of program services that meet their service standard targets

Departmental result 2 of 2: Canadians can obtain a passport within Canada in a timely manner

Indicator: Percentage of travel documents and other passport services processed within standards

Program inventory:

  • Government of Canada Telephone General Enquiries Services
  • Government of Canada Internet Presence
  • In-Person Points of Service
  • Passport
  • Service Delivery Partnerships

Changes to the approved reporting framework since fiscal year 2020 to 2021

Core responsibility 1: Social development

Departmental result: Not-for-profit organizations, communities and other groups have an enhanced capacity to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the engagement of seniors and support for children and families

2020 to 2021 indicator: For every dollar invested through the Social Development Partnerships Program, amount leveraged/invested by non-federal partners

2021 to 2022 indicator: Newly developed partnerships as a percentage of all partnerships developed by recipient organizations to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, children and families and other vulnerable populations

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

2020 to 2021 indicator: Service standard target for Social Development program priority service, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, was met

2021 to 2022 indicator: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Social Development programs

Core responsibility 2: Pensions and benefits

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

2020 to 2021 indicator: Number of service standard targets for Pensions and Benefits program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met

2021 to 2022 indicator: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Pensions and Benefits programs

Core responsibility 3: Learning, skills development and employment

Departmental result: Canadians access education, training, and life-long learning supports to gain the skills and work experience they need

2020 to 2021 indicator: Percentage of Canadians aged 18 to 24 that are enrolled in university or college

2021 to 2022 indicator: Percentage of Canadian young adults that are enrolled in university or college

Departmental result: Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for Canadians

2021 to 2022 indicator: Removed

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for Indigenous people on reserve

2021 to 2022 indicator: Difference in the employment rate of Indigenous peoples (First Nations status and non-status, Inuit and Métis) and non-Indigenous peoples

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for Indigenous peoples off reserve

2021 to 2022 indicator: Difference in the employment rate of Indigenous peoples (First Nations status and non-status, Inuit and Métis) and non-Indigenous peoples

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for recent immigrants

2021 to 2022 indicator: Removed

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for persons with disabilities

2021 to 2022 indicator: Difference in the employment rate of persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for youth

2021 to 2022 indicator: Removed

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for women

2021 to 2022 indicator: Difference in the employment rate between women and men

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for older Canadians

2021 to 2022 indicator: Removed

2020 to 2021 indicator: Employment rate for lone parents

2021 to 2022 indicator: Removed

2020 to 2021 indicator: Unemployment-to-job vacancies

2021 to 2022 indicator: Removed

2020 to 2021 indicator: Not applicable

2021 to 2022 indicator: Difference in the employment rate gap between visible minority group members and the non-visible minority population

2020 to 2021 departmental result: More students from low- and middle-income families access and participate in post-secondary education

2021 to 2022 departmental result: Students, including those from low- and middle-income families, use federally funded supports to help them participate in post-secondary education

2020 to 2021 indicator: Proportion of low- and middle-income Canadian young adults participating in post-secondary education

2021 to 2022 indicator: Percentage of low- and middle-income Canadian young adults participating in post-secondary education

2020 to 2021 indicator: Percentage of beneficiaries with a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawal that have ever received an additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant and/or Canada Learning Bond, which are available only to children from low and middle income families, as compared to the total populace of beneficiaries with an RESP withdrawal

2021 to 2022 indicator: Annual percentage of beneficiaries under the age of 18 who receive an education savings incentive available only to those from low- or middle-income families

2020 to 2021 indicator: Percentage of fulltime students (all ages) who used federal student financial assistance to help finance their participation in post-secondary education

2021 to 2022 indicator: Removed

2020 to 2021 departmental result: Not applicable

2021 to 2022 departmental result: Student borrowers are able to repay their federal student debt

2020 to 2021 indicator: Not applicable

2021 to 2022 indicator: Percentage of loans in repayment that are paid each year

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

2020 to 2021 indicator: Number of service standard targets for Learning, Skills Development and Employment program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met

2021 to 2022 indicator: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Learning, Skills Development and Employment programs

2020 to 2021 key measure: Not applicable

2021 to 2022 key measure: Percentage of registrations to My Service Canada Account through Trusted Digital Identities in participating provinces/territories

Core responsibility 4: Workplace conditions and workplace relations

Departmental result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

2020 to 2021 indicator: Number of service standard targets for Working Conditions and Workplace Relations program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met

2021 to 2022 indicator: Number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Working Conditions and Workplace Relations programs

Supporting information on the program inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to Employment and Social Development Canada’s program inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on Employment and Social Development Canada’s website:

Federal tax expenditures

Employment and Social Development Canada’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures that relate to its planned results for fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance, and the Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government¬ wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis. The tax measures presented in this report are solely the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

Portage IV
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau QC  K1A 0J9
Telephone: 1-800-622-6232
Toll-free: 1-800-622-6232

Website: www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development.html

Email: NC-SPR-PSR-CPMD-DPMG-GD@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of a department over a 3 year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité ministérielle)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Departmental priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare, the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works and what doesn’t. Experimentation is related to, but distinct form innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

full time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. Full time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2021–22 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, namely: Protecting Canadians from COVID-19; Helping Canadians through the pandemic; Building back better – a resiliency agenda for the middle class; The Canada we’re fighting for.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative in which 2 or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision-making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

strategic outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.

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