Departmental Results Report for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, ESDC

On this page

• From the Ministers
• Results at a glance
• Operating context
• Response to COVID-19 – Adjustments to existing programming
• Service excellence highlights
• Service Canada Regional Service Delivery
• Results: what we achieved
  • Social Development
  • Pensions and Benefits
  • Learning, Skills Development and Employment
  • Working Conditions and Workplace Relations
  • Information Delivery and Services for Other Government Departments
  • Internal services
• Spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • ESDC's Financial Framework
  • Financial Highlights
  • Human resources
  • Expenditures by Vote
  • Government of Canada spending and activities
  • Financial statements and financial statements highlights
• Corporate information
  • Organizational profile
  • Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Reporting framework
• Supporting information on the program inventory
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions

Alternate formats

Departmental Results Report for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 [PDF - 1.2 MB]

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From the Ministers

We are pleased to present the 2022 to 2023 Departmental Results Report for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), including the Labour Program and Service Canada.

While the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and social impacts were less severe than in the previous 2 fiscal years, new challenges, including labour market shortages and high inflation, made Canada's economic recovery uneven. As a result, the role of ESDC in supporting Canadians and improving their economic and social security has been more crucial than ever.

The Department saw several significant social development milestones in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. ESDC made important progress in implementing a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. By March 2023, Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador were delivering child care for an average of $10 a day or less, and the remaining provinces and territories had all reduced parent fees. We also continued supporting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation partners by advancing Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care priorities.

Another important initiative for children started to take shape as we embarked on comprehensive consultations to develop a national school food policy, to ensure that more Canadian children receive nutritious food at school. These consultations involved direct input from Canadians, including children and youth, and a broad range of stakeholder organizations, including local school food programs, school communities and food and agricultural sector organizations from across Canada. Consultations also featured bilateral engagement with Indigenous partners and the provinces and territories, many of whom already have active school meal initiatives.

To support working-age persons with disabilities, the Government of Canada reintroduced framework legislation for the Canada Disability Benefit in Parliament on June 2, 2022. Bill C-22 received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023 and in October, the government released Canada's Disability Inclusion Action Plan, a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to disability inclusion.

For seniors, we permanently increased the Old Age Security pension by 10 percent for those aged 75 and over. Additionally, to help seniors offset the costs incurred by the pandemic, we provided a one-time payment to Guaranteed Income Supplement and Allowance recipients who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the Canada Recovery Benefit.

Addressing systemic anti-Black racism continues to be a priority. This past year, we focused on building capacity and infrastructure within Black Canadian communities. For example, we announced the selection of the Foundation for Black Communities, which will begin administering the Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund. 

More broadly, our department provided leadership on cross-Government efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2023, we presented Canada's second Voluntary National Review, highlighting the progress, lessons learned, and challenges in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at home and abroad.

As Canada's economy began to recover from the pandemic and look ahead to a net-zero future, supports for education, training and lifelong learning were more important than ever.

To help young people have the financial support they need to complete their studies and start their careers, the Government of Canada eliminated interest on Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans.

This past year, we were able to get youth roughly 180,000 opportunities to work, learn, and grow through the Youth Employment and Skills Program, the Canada Service Corps, and through Canada Summer Jobs. Our Apprenticeship Service also provided grants to small and medium-sized employers to hire apprentices and promote diversity in the skilled trades in an effort to increase youth participation in the skilled trades.

Labour shortages in key sectors increased the demand for workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Temporary measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic were extended to provide more program stability. The Workforce Solutions Road Map marks the next step in an ongoing effort to adjust and improve the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure it meets ongoing labour market needs while protecting workers.

As the job market changes, modernizing the Employment Insurance program is essential to better adapt to the needs of workers and employers. The valuable insight provided in the second phase of our consultations with Canadians that took place in 2022 will help us in our prudent and fiscally responsible approach to building an Employment Insurance system that is accessible and supports all workers across Canada.

During the period covered by this report, we also permanently increased Employment Insurance sickness benefits from a maximum of 15 to 26 weeks. This means that Canadians facing illness or injury will be supported, and their jobs protected, as they recover.

The pandemic also highlighted the lack of paid short-term sick leave. To make sure workers don't have to choose between their health and their pay cheque, we introduced to 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated private sector workers. This improves the working conditions for nearly one million federal workers.

The Government of Canada believes in free collective bargaining and that the best deals are reached at the table by the parties, often with assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). During fiscal year 2022 to 2023, 96 percent of all disputes referred to FMCS were resolved without a work stoppage.

Equity in the workplace is key to building a strong workforce. We funded new projects through the Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity program. These will help break down employment barriers experienced by women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities.

We also made improvements to services offered at Service Canada offices. Following the surge in demand for passports, we were able to eliminate the passport backlog completely by March 2023. Additionally, we are developing solutions to streamline the passport program, like the Online Application Status Checker, adding more Service Canada Centres with 10-day passport delivery, and piloting other service improvements. Across the Government of Canada, we are working to increase the use of digital tools to speed up and simplify processes so that Canadians get the services they need when they need them.

As we reflect on the challenges and successes of the period covered by this report, we are confident that our work supports Canadians and contributes to a strong and inclusive economy.

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds

Minister of Labour and Seniors, Seamus O'Regan Jr.

Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera

Minister of Citizens' Services, Terry Beech

Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien

Results at a glance

Operating context

As public health restrictions gradually lifted over fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the Canadian economy continued to recover from the pandemic and proved resilient despite global challenges. Strong labour market recovery supported economic growth and high demand for services.

The year was marked by high inflation. In June 2022, the inflation rate reached its highest peak in 40 years. In response, the Bank of Canada increased its benchmark interest rate several times. At the end of the fiscal year, the inflation rate was still above the Bank of Canada target range of 1% to 3%. These high inflation rates were mostly driven by labour shortages in Canada, the Russia-Ukraine war, and global supply chain disruptions. Inflation rates were particularly high for food, shelter and energy products. Wage growth did not keep pace with inflation during most of the period, which has resulted in lower purchasing power for most households. This has put pressure on the middle class and proved particularly challenging for low-income households.

Total employment, which had recovered to its pre-pandemic level in 2021, continued to rise this fiscal year. The unemployment rate remained below pre-pandemic levels and reached an historic low (4.9%) in June and July of 2022. Despite these developments, employment in some industries, such as accommodation and food services, did not recover to pre-pandemic levels.

The number of job vacancies reached a record high of almost 1 million (997,000) in the second quarter of 2022. While vacancies have since declined, the rate remained high in early 2023. There were 1.3 unemployed people for every job vacancy compared to 2.4 prior to COVID-19 in early 2020. Some labour shortages have been temporary. However, others were likely a result of factors such as aging population, new technologies, and consumer behaviour changes.

After a sharp drop in 2020, immigration increased to an unprecedented level in 2021. In 2022, immigration continued to grow, with Canada welcoming more than 430,000 new immigrants. It remained important to integrate newcomers into the Canadian labour market.

Groups most affected economically by the pandemic have long experienced labour market challenges, including women, youth, Indigenous peoples, racialized populations, and recent immigrants. These groups benefited from the broad economic recovery and labour shortage situation to different extents. As a result, these employment rates were above pre-pandemic levels. Despite this growth, employment rates of most underrepresented groups remain below the national average. These groups continued to experience challenges such as lack of work experience, discrimination, and caregiving responsibilities.

As our economy advanced on the path of recovery, it continued to need a highly educated workforce with higher levels and greater range of skills. This is because more advanced technologies led to the creation of new occupations and changed existing ones. This includes new skill sets to tackle items such as the transition to an economy with net-zero carbon emissions to fight climate change.

At the same time, remote work, whether full time or part time, remained widespread among jobs that could be done from home. This was the case even as more employers required their workers to return to the office. Flexible and hybrid work arrangements are likely to continue. This will change how and when work is done, and how employers organize their workspaces.

The department responded effectively to the post-pandemic challenges by ensuring Canadians received high-quality and efficient government services. Canada's passport program experienced a set of interconnected issues created by the pandemic, which manifested through pressures on Service Canada's passport service delivery. The department played a critical role in tackling the passport surge. Actions were taken to reduce line-up pressure, and the backlog of applications was eliminated by the Winter. In addition, the department recognized the challenges facing Canadian employers. It took several measures to improve the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program's flexibility and reduce administrative burden for employers.

Response to COVID-19 – Adjustments to existing programming

The temporary Employment Insurance (EI) measures in place due to COVID-19 ended on September 24, 2022. These temporary measures were announced as part of Budget 2021 and supported eligible workers during the pandemic recovery period when jobs were sporadic and scarce. These measures required fewer hours for benefits and simpler rules for eligibility.

Work on assessing the EI temporary measures is ongoing. The analysis is expected to be included in the 2022 to 2023 Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report. This report will be available at the end of April 2024 and will be reported on in the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Results Report.

The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) was available between September 27, 2020, and May 7, 2022. As of July 10, 2022, approximately 568,830 workers had received CRCB, for a total gross dollar value of $4.37 billion. This amount covers the entire lifespan of the benefit.

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) was available between September 27, 2020, and May 7, 2022. As of July 10, 2022, approximately 1,248,300 workers had received the CRSB, for a total gross dollar value of $1.50 billion. This amount covers the entire lifespan of the benefit.

The Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB) was available for designated lockdown regions between October 24, 2021 and May 7, 2022. This benefit provided temporary income support for workers who faced direct work interruptions due to designated public health COVID-19 lockdowns. The last day to apply was May 18, 2022. As of July 10, 2022, approximately 455,770 workers had received the CWLB, for a total gross dollar value of $914.4 million. This amount covers the entire lifespan of benefit.

Service excellence highlights

As the post-pandemic service delivery environment became increasingly digital, client expectations also evolved. Canadians expected seamless and personalized experiences, quick response times, and easy access to services. The department focused on improving its understanding of the client experience aiming to enhance policy and service design and delivery. While doing so, the department paid particular attention to better support marginalized and underserved populations. It continued to successfully develop and implement modern, resilient, secure and reliable services and benefit delivery systems. This will allow the department to reach all Canadians regardless of where they live. The ongoing digital transformation continued to advance efficiency and streamline processes.

Modernizing IT and addressing technical debt

In support of serving Canadians, the department upgraded its computer systems to make them stronger and more reliable. This enabled the department to improve services for Employment Insurance, as well as other benefit payments.

The department ensured its network was stable and able to handle an increasing number of users. More specifically, these changes included:

• Strengthening service delivery systems used to provide financial support to Canadians, by upgrading mainframe computers that support the EI program and other payment systems
• Enabling Canadians to check their passport application status online
• Modernizing the network and improving performance, by redistributing and optimizing traffic as well as upgrading major components of the infrastructure
• Upgrading 1,100 servers' operating systems to keep systems up to date, in collaboration with Shared Services Canada
• Migrating to new modern tools and retiring old systems that were at risk. This effectively lowered operational risk and improved the technological debt profile
• Mobilizing a specialized workforce to advance key initiatives, such as Benefits Delivery Modernization. This initiative includes migrating Old Age Security (OAS) onto a new modern common benefit delivery platform
• Implementing changes to the Canada Pension Plan Enhancement project to calculate and pay the first phase of enhanced benefit amounts
• Installing standby systems critical to Pension Services to recover applications, data, and transactions more efficiently in the event of a major failure in the main systems

Improving the client service experience and outcomes, supported by increasingly seamless digital services

In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, Canadians were able to access new benefits, income support measures and other programs through many avenues. These include In-Person service, eServiceCanada, eSIN, Outreach Support Centre (OSC), Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS), and Scheduled Outreach service delivery channels.

To improve client service, the department launched an online Passport Application Status Checker. This self-serve tool allows Canadians to check the status of their applications. This, in turn, reduces wait times for Canadians who call the contact centre or visit a passport office.

The department also launched an appointment-booking tool that directs clients to the right location for service. Additionally, it began presenting office wait times for passport offices and launched new webpages with up-to-date passport statistics. These webpages also provided information on how the department was making changes to decrease the passport backlog.

The department further improved the online Social Insurance Number (SIN) application process, providing a more interactive and responsive experience to Canadians. Based on the client's input, the application guides them on what information to provide and what documents they need to upload. The updates also provide clients with the option to include their email address to receive email notifications about their application status. This option reduces the need to follow up with Service Canada.

The department launched and finalized the second year of its client experience research program. This research identifies client experience trends for grants and contributions programs and opportunities to improve service design and delivery. To improve client awareness and common experience of grants and contributions, the department launched a public call for proposals calendar. In addition, it now offers an opt-in email subscription service for upcoming calls for proposals. The department also standardized the grants and contributions application forms, which offer an efficient, standardized, and focused method to submit funding applications. The department will finalize an action plan to improve the use of the findings in grants and contributions design and delivery. It will also share the lessons learned with the client experience, program design and delivery, and research communities at the departmental level.

Another improvement is that clients can now view and download electronic versions of decision letters impacting their EI claim in their My Service Canada Account. This self-service feature is offered in real-time, so clients do not need to wait for a letter to be mailed. A total of 69,267 EI decision letters were issued during fiscal year 2022 to 2023. Of those, 84% (that is a total of 58,377 letters) were viewed by clients in their My Service Canada Account.

Through Service Canada Labs, the department allowed citizens to interact with prototypes for new or improved products and services. The labs work in the open to encourage citizen dialogue and collect feedback on the utility of these new products and services. The feedback from these interactions then informs the design and delivery of user-centered products. 

The department established life journeys to map the end-to-end experience of clients at major events in their lives. Research is conducted at each stage in the journey. It includes seeking information about, applying for, and managing services and benefits. It also highlights user needs and challenges to be solved. This research work contributes to the Integrated Channel Strategy, in which life journeys will play an important role.

Reaching all Canadians

The department published its first Accessibility Plan on December 1, 2022, on Canada.ca, in accordance with the Accessible Canada Act. The plan covers the period from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025.

The plan will continue to help the department achieve tangible accessibility improvements for citizens. For example, the department now offers on-demand Video Remote Interpretation at all its Service Canada Centres (SCC), SCC–Passport Services, and consolidated sites across Canada. This provides better service to people who use sign language. Another example is the activation of navigation beacons in 43 Service Canada Centres. These assist clients who are blind or have vision loss in moving around in the centre.

In 2022, the Auditor General published a Report on Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations. In response, the department has intensified its efforts to improve measurement of the take-up of benefits. It initiated work to develop an integrated approach to service delivery for individuals requiring extra help and improved performance measurement of its outreach activities. This involved working across departmental programs and with other federal departments to identify data gaps, improve data sharing between departments, and make better use of current data holdings. These analyses will provide insights on which population segments appear to be the hardest to reach, and where they are located. This data will inform future outreach activities.

The department developed an online self-serve benefits estimator. This tool will help people estimate how much money they could receive from OAS, GIS, Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor. Feedback from staff and clients validated the value and ease of use of the tool, which launched in June 2023.

The department researched and tested a digital Benefits Navigator tool that would help community outreach workers identify federal government benefits for their clients. It would provide information about benefits for their vulnerable clients. Being aware of those benefits, clients would then be able to apply. These findings and prototypes will be shared on Service Canada Labs in 2023.

The department researched and mapped how seniors access OAS benefits to understand common needs and challenges for the most vulnerable seniors. The work focused on:

• Seniors who immigrated
• Individuals in a senior's circle of care
• Seniors in urban settings who are low-income and vulnerable
• Service Canada frontline employees

This research will inform how the department delivers services in a dignified manner to meet the needs of its aging population.

Through its Innovation Lab, the department completed 2 major research projects to advance pandemic recovery efforts and improve access to benefits for Canadians. The first project explored the lived realities of self-employed workers and income supports available to them, which will inform policy options for income support. The second project explored design options for an automatic enrollment model for the Canada Learning Bond. Such a mechanism is aimed at bridging the enrollment gap so that eligible families receive the financial support for their children's post-secondary education.

Service Canada Regional Service Delivery

Western Canada and Territories

The Western Canada and Territories Region continued to deliver outreach services with its partners. The region contacted 506 of the 508 Indigenous communities to provide information on Service Canada programs. It also promoted the national Outreach Support Centre (OSC) phone line and conducted needs assessments for outreach services. The region organized 263 virtual and in-person clinics to directly support Indigenous communities and ensure they receive their entitled federal benefits. This included Elders' clinics offered in collaboration with an Indigenous Elders' Coordinator and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

The region delivered the Reaching All Canadians (RAC) pilot in Winnipeg to improve access to benefits for vulnerable clients. It worked with financially vulnerable communities, members of the Francophone community, people experiencing homelessness or at risk thereof, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The pilot team and its RAC partners provided information and services about the Canada Learning Bond and income security to 84 clients at community events. They also held 40 events about the Canada Learning Bond and government income security programs.

The region hosted more than 20 virtual events to increase community engagement. These events were about programs such as the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) and Canada Summer Jobs. The region also accepted oral applications to increase Northern engagement in the NHSP. The region moved the in-person Nunavut Labour Market Forum to a virtual platform, increasing participation and bringing together industry with program partners.

Ontario

The region engaged with provincial and municipal partners and organizations through the Integrated Outreach Service Strategy for Seniors. Together, they used strategic outreach tactics to spread awareness of programs and services for seniors. The region analyzed data on seniors' population to customize marketing to those facing financial hardship to promote programs. It had 3,561 Outreach Support Centre interactions to assist people without access to the internet or facing other barriers in accessing Service Canada programs and services.

Through the Joint Rapid Response Action Plan, the region proactively supported over 60 employers and their employees facing labour market adjustments. The region also participated in 9 virtual and/or in-person career fairs and 2 virtual information sessions. These aimed to promote ESDC/Service Canada as an employer of choice and to promote employment opportunities in Ontario Region. Furthermore, the region participated in over 90 Workforce Planning Board meetings. The boards gather intelligence about the supply of labour and the demand side of the local labour market by working with employers to identify and meet their current and emerging skills needs. The primary role of Workforce Planning Board is to help improve understanding of and coordinate community responses to labour market issues and needs. Through these meetings, the department actively engages stakeholders to identify and address community issues. The region also delivered 14 presentations to stakeholders increasing awareness of Job Bank and labour market information available to communities.

The Ontario Region built a permanent presence on the departmental intranet, linking tools, resources, and events pertaining to anti-racism and diversity. Employees can learn and participate in activities, training, and initiatives to create a more diverse and equitable workplace. The Anti-Racism Task Team (ARTT) has recently evolved into a newly established Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Community of Practice. This community will serve as an anchor for a richer focus on diversity and inclusion across the region.

Québec

For seniors, the Québec region implemented a first-contact resolution process with more than 75 community organizations. The region signed a local agreement with Services Québec to refer eligible clients from the Montreal area to the Old Age Security program. This allowed to refer to Service Canada 718 citizens facing access issues or in vulnerability situations.

The Québec region created 4 innovation laboratories for the Indigenous clientele in 11 communities and 1 urban centre. The goal is to find solutions adapted to their needs through co-creation. These laboratories developed information sessions and supporting documents adapted for these clients about services available in Service Canada Centres. The region also led 3 mobile clinics pilot projects in collaboration with 8 federal and provincial departments and Indigenous organizations. Overall, those mobile clinics allowed to provide to 155 Indigenous clients the services thew were entitled to, where they lived.

Atlantic

The region delivered outreach services to marginalized and underserved client groups by working with 382 community partners. Among these, 20 community partners were serving racialized Canadians, 48 were supporting vulnerable seniors and 70 were assisting newcomers. The region also engaged all Indigenous communities except for one.

In addition, the region delivered 153 Social Insurance Number (SIN) clinics to vulnerable clients. Some were organized specifically for newly arrived Ukrainians and Afghans. The region also provided 216 information sessions to promote a wide range of ESDC programs and benefits. Finally, the region established 86 partnerships to increase awareness and take up of benefits among the underserved population.

The region undertook significant efforts to increase bilingual capacity and upskill fully trained, experienced employees in benefits delivery. These efforts resulted in greater flexibility to meet regional and national workload demands and reduce client wait times for service.

Text description of Figure 1

This image indicates the number of in-person service sites, by type, in each of the 4 administrative regions of Service Canada, as of March 31, 2023. These numbers are as follows:

• Service Canada Centres:
  • Western Canada and Territories: 98
  • Ontario: 87
  • Québec: 75
  • Atlantic: 57
  • Total: 317
• Scheduled Outreach Sites:
  • Western Canada and Territories: 127
  • Ontario: 75
  • Québec: 18
  • Atlantic: 27
  • Total: 247
• Service Canada Centres – Passport Services :
  • Western Canada and Territories: 5
  • Ontario: 11
  • Québec: 5
  • Total: 21
• Service Delivery Partner Sites:
  • Western Canada and Territories: 15
  • Total: 15

For more information on Employment and Social Development Canada's plans, priorities and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.

Results: what we achieved

Social Development

Description

Increase inclusion and opportunities for participation of Canadians in their communities.

Results

Access to early learning and child care is increased

In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department made significant progress towards its major milestones under the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. These followed notably through providing long-term funding to provinces and territories and Indigenous peoples for the establishment and maintenant of that system. By March 31, 2023, 2 of Canada's provinces and territories (Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador) were delivering regulated child care for an average of $10 a day or less under this system. 2 others (Saskatchewan and Manitoba) had announced plans to lower fees to $10 a day effective April 1 and 2, 2023, respectively. Most of the remaining provinces and territories had all reduced parent fees by at least 50% as of December 31, 2022. Quebec and the Yukon had a $10-a-day child care prior to the Canada-wide early learning and child care system.

Bill C-35: An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada, was tabled in the House of Commons on December 8, 2022. This legislation would enshrine the principles of a Canada-wide early learning and child care system into law. As of March 31, 2023, the bill remained under the consideration of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

The department also continued its efforts to support innovation in child care services. To this end, it funded projects to explore and develop new practices that help to improve life outcomes of children. As of March 31, 2023, the department had approved 6 additional ELCC Innovation projects for up to 36 months. These included 4 projects designed to explore, test and develop innovative approaches in the ELCC system. It also included 2 projects designed to address early learning and child care data gaps. These 6 projects complement the first bundle of 16 innovation projects now underway, for a total of 22 projects.

The Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care provided data and research funding to support the Early Childhood Education and Care report. The secretariat also provided such funding in support of:

• The administration of 3 national early learning and child care ELCC surveys
• The completion of 11 internal early learning and child care ELCC research reports
• Over 10 early learning and child care ELCC related publications by Statistics Canada, many of which are available on the Early Learning and Child Care Information Hub

On November 24, 2022, the Minister announced the 16 members of the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care. These include an ex-officio member and a full-time chair, for a 3-year term. The council has a mandate to provide third-party expert advice to the department in support of the Minister. It will also serve as a forum for consultation on issues and challenges facing the early learning and child care sector.

The department continued to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners in making advances on Early Learning and Child Care priorities. For example, the department funded over 400 proposals through repairs and renovations funding. These aimed to address immediate health and safety needs of existing Aboriginal Head start and Day care sites.

Departmental support to advance the goals of the Early Learning and Child Care Framework also contributed to advancing many priorities of Indigenous communities. Below are a few examples: 

• Some First Nations ELCC leads have undertaken efforts to attract, retain and better remunerate Early Childhood Educators (ECE). Such efforts include targeted training and development of wage grids. These efforts are important as ECE's provide critical services in early childhood development
• Inuit Nunangat partners continued to advance a vision for an Inuit ELCC system that provides opportunities to learn and speak Inuktut and benefit from Inuit programming. Inuit ELCC supports cultural revitalization that connects Inuit with their land, culture, language, and histories
• Canada and 3 Inuit land claim organizations advanced streamlining of IELCC funding toward consolidating IELCC recipient funding into a single agreement to decrease administrative and reporting burden. The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) board introduced a 10-year consolidated funding resolution for further efficiencies and to provide long-term funding certainty
• The Métis Nation continued to advance priorities to create affordable, accessible, and culturally suitable learning environments for young Métis children. This included child care subsidies and the establishment of new Métis Child Care sites in British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. To encourage the Early Childhood Educator profession, Métis nations organized workshops and implemented recruitment and training initiatives
• Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) was added to the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Transformation Initiative Terms and Conditions for Contributions. This will streamline the administration of federal Indigenous ELCC funding agreements. The addition of CIRNAC responded to the requests of some Indigenous partners to receive their Indigenous ELCC funding through Master Agreements with CIRNAC. This process provides a single-window approach to federal funding for those Indigenous partners

Barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities are removed

The department released the Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) on behalf of the government of Canada in October 2022. The action plan is a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to disability inclusion. It was the result of extensive consultations with the disability communities, researchers, Indigenous organizations, and other stakeholders. This was done through a community-led engagement project that bridged the gap between lived experiences and policy.

A cornerstone of the action plan is the Canada Disability Benefit. The Government reintroduced framework legislation for the Canada Disability Benefit (Bill C-22) on June 2, 2022. The bill ultimately received royal assent on June 22, 2023. As well, the 2023 federal budget committed $21.5 million in 2023 to 2024 to continue work on the future delivery of the proposed benefit. This includes engagement with the disability community and provinces and territories on the regulatory process.

In addition, funding provided in Budget 2021 continued to support the work on the fourth pillar of the DIAP: A modern approach to disability. This involved the development of knowledge and evidence that will be used to inform recommendations on a modern approach to disability assessment. This approach will be applied to Government of Canada programs and benefits for persons with disabilities.

The department has engaged and will continue to engage with many stakeholders on the development and implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit and on the DIAP. Such engagement will include persons with disabilities, disability stakeholders, provinces and territories, and national Indigenous organizations. One way the department engaged was through a community-led engagement project on the DIAP that bridged the gap between lived experiences and policy. The project resulted in a report created by disability stakeholders and submitted to the department.

The department also engaged with 5 national Indigenous organizations to solicit their perspectives and recommendations on the DIAP.

The department supported an additional 617 infrastructure projects through the Enabling Accessibility Fund. These projects contribute to making community spaces, workplaces and shelters more accessible for persons with disabilities. This included a priority for shelters for those experiencing violence, which resulted in the financing of 78 shelter projects. The program was also able to support improvements to the physical accessibility of 240 child care centers through specific funding.

The department finalized 18 2-year agreements (2022 to 2024) with disability organizations under the Accessible Canada Fund. These included 12 under the National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) stream and 6 under the Accessible Canada Partnerships stream.

The projects under the NAAW stream are delivering activities across Canada to raise awareness of the importance of accessibility and disability inclusion. Under the Partnerships stream, a phased funding approach was implemented to:

• Build capacity within the disability community
• Expand the reach of positive outcomes to reach more persons with disabilities, communities and sectors
• Encourage partnerships across multiple sectors to sustain projects long after federal funding

The Accessible Canada Regulations came into force on December 21, 2021, followed by regulatory guidance on preparing accessibility plans. In 2022 to 2023, the department published 5 additional regulatory guidance documents to help federally regulated entities meet or exceed regulation requirements to reduce barriers to accessibility for Canadians. The series provided guidance regarding the following regulatory topics:

• Consulting persons with disabilities
• Descriptions of feedback processes
• Simple, clear and concise language
• Alternate formats
• Progress reports

In addition, the department started work to develop future regulations on accessible information and communication technologies (ICT). Early engagement was undertaken to better understand potential impacts of the future regulations on affected stakeholders, including the disability community. To seek the broadest perspectives possible, multiple modes of engagement were conducted, including:

• Posting a public discussion paper related to ICT accessibility
• Holding virtual meetings with disability organizations, indigenous stakeholders and federally regulated entities
• Issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback from ICT vendors and suppliers
• Bilateral meetings with key disability organizations and other stakeholders
• The department continued to implement the Federal Data and Measurement Strategy for Accessibility 2022 to 2027. This strategy explains what the Government of Canada will do to improve what is known about accessibility in Canada. Better information on barriers to accessibility will make it easier to remove them, and prevent them in the future. Greater awareness about the barriers encountered by Canadians will encourage action needed to achieve real change. Having greater access to data on accessibility will provide early consideration of accessibility in policy, program and service design and promote greater inclusion over time.

The department published Phase 1 of the performance indicator framework (PIF) for accessibility data. It includes performance indicators for 3 of the priority areas set out in the Accessible Canada Act: employment, information communication technologies, and transportation. These indicators were developed in consultation with the disability community and relevant academic experts.

In addition, a second public opinion research study was conducted to help measure Canadians' awareness of accessibility and barriers to accessibility. The research involved both persons with disabilities and without disabilities. The report was published in October 2022.

The department collaborated with Statistics Canada on a new module that was included in the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability. This module is focused on collecting information about barriers to accessibility experienced by persons with disabilities.

The department launched the first annual Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion (CCDI) on May 26 to 27, 2022. The CCDI brings stakeholders and partners together to exchange information and foster new partnerships. It also drives action to help shape accessible and inclusively designed communities and workplaces across Canada. The event has become an anchor event that is held annually to kick-start National AccessAbility Week celebrations.  

Poverty is reduced

Canada's poverty rate has been decreasing since 2015. It went from 14.5% in 2015 to 7.4% in 2021, lifting close to 2.3 million Canadians out of poverty.

The department supported the National Advisory Council on Poverty, which released its 3rd annual progress report. The council engaged Canadians through in-person and online consultations, meeting with people with lived experience in poverty, stakeholders, community groups, and academics.

Efforts to improve poverty measurement continued in 2022 to 2023. The department developed the Market Basket Measure in the Northwest Territories and Yukon and continued work with Nunavut to develop methodology for the Nunavut Market Basket Measure.

Collaboration continued with the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami to create poverty and well-being indicators. Discussions with Métis partners are also ongoing to develop Métis-specific indicators.

The department engaged with Canadians and stakeholders to create a National School Food Policy. Roundtables and an online questionnaire collected more than 5,200 responses from various groups, including parents, teachers, and Indigenous partners, to shape this policy. Provinces and territories were also involved in its development.

Enhanced capacity to address social issues

The department has continued to support social purpose and community service organizations through the delivery of the following initiatives:

• Community Services Recovery Fund
• Age Well at Home Initiative
• Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative
• Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund
• Investment Readiness Program
• Social Finance Fund
• Social Innovation Advisory Council

The department signed contribution agreements with 3 national funders selected to deliver the Community Services Recovery Fund. These national funders are the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada and United Way/Centraide Canada. The national funders launched the application process in January 2023. Community service organizations (CSOs), including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, were eligible to apply. Funded projects will begin in fiscal year 2023 to 2024 and will help CSOs adapt and modernize their programs and operations. This fund will help community service organizations adapt, modernize, and build internal organizational capacity. This investment will strengthen the sector as it supports recovery in communities across Canada.

The department processed applications for the Age Well at Home (AWAH) initiative. These projects should begin in 2023. An external researcher has been contracted to develop a common measurement framework and conduct performance measurement and evaluation activities of projects.

The department continued to advance the rights, wellbeing and social inclusion of Black communities in Canada as part of Canada's commitment towards the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to 2024).

The Government of Canada announced the selection of the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) to administer the Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund. The FFBC is a national, Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving organization with strong partnerships and significant support from diverse Black communities in Canada. The Endowment Fund will enable the FFBC to fund Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving non-profits and charities, for years to come. This support will help combat anti-Black racism and improve social and economic outcomes in Black communities.

The department has successfully implemented the renewed Investment Readiness Program to help social purpose organizations (SPOs) access social finance. A total of 26 funding recipients strengthened the social innovation and social finance (SI/SF) ecosystem. They delivered grants to 441 SPOs. This allowed these organizations to build the skills they need to seek loans and other forms of financing to grow their social impact.

In addition, the department signed contribution agreements with 3 social finance wholesalers (fund managers) in March 2023 to deliver the Social Finance Fund. The wholesalers and official launch of the Social Finance Fund were announced in May 2023. The Social Finance Fund will support SPOs in accessing flexible financing opportunities to help them grow, innovate, and enhance their social and environmental impacts. Wholesalers are expected to make their first social finance investments in social finance intermediaries and SPOs in 2023.

The department also created the Social Innovation Advisory Council in February 2023. The 7 members were selected through a competitive public call for applications and appointed for 3-year terms.

In April 2023, through the Social Development Partnerships Program – Disability component, the department put in place 3-year funding agreements with 27 national disability organizations. Final reports from the previous cycle of national operating funding were due May 31, 2023. The department continues to work with recipients to receive outstanding reports. The Community Inclusion Initiative funding stream continued to fund 13 regional organizations to improve the social inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities. As well, 6 disability organizations received funds to support youth leadership in 2022 to 2023.

Also, 4 organizations received funds to improve the financial security of persons with disabilities in 2022 to 2023. One of these organizations will continue to be funded in 2023 to 2024 and the other 3 concluded their agreements.

Budget 2023 committed $10M to address the unique needs and ongoing barriers faced by persons with disabilities. This will be done by investing in capacity building and the community-level work of Canada's disability organizations.

The Government provided funds to the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) and the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS). The Government provided a total of $4 million to CELA and NNELS in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. This funding will help to make books accessible for people who are unable to read print due to a disability.

Through the Strategic Engagement and Research Program, the department funded domestic and international organizations to conduct research on topics of relevance to its mandate and priorities. In total, 4 new domestic research projects were funded. They addressed topics such as:

• Social policy challenges and marginalized groups
• Psychological health and safety of workers
• Worker voice and labour rights
• Data needs for social purpose sector organizations

As well, 6 new international research projects were funded on various topics, such as:

• Skills needs in occupations exposed to artificial intelligence
• Vocational education and training and the green transition
• The delivery of mediation and conciliation training
• Preventing the abuse of older persons
• The validation of globally reported data on the Sustainable Development Goal on quality education
• Measuring compliance with international rules on occupational health and safety

The department also contributed to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). This is an international assessment of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading and science. It provides information on a range of factors that contribute to the success of students, schools, and education systems.

Services to Canadians

As part of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, the department developed a strategy to engage Black communities in the development of public initiatives. This strategy supports the establishment of networks to gain insight directly from Black communities. This is important as they represent a range of lived experiences and intersectional identities across Canada. This engagement will inform a government-wide navigation and coordination system to facilitate Black-led community organizations' access to funding resources. It will also inform policy and programing for Black communities in Canada.

Gender-based analysis plus

The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) supports projects that improve accessibility in community spaces open to the public. It also supports projects in workplaces that maintain or create job opportunities for persons with disabilities. The EAF continues to benefit persons with disabilities rather equally amongst sub-populations, for example, age and gender.

Project completion reports ensure that the program captures data relevant to sub-groups of persons with disabilities. These sub-groups include age range, Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, and gender groups. The data helps to inform future program policy design and calls for proposals.

For example, in 2022 to 2023, the program put out a focused call for proposals under the small projects funding stream. The call targeted shelters for those experiencing violence and gender-based violence, as well as early learning and child care centres.

For the second cycle of Accessible Canada funding, the department funded projects that seek to increase the participation of diverse groups within the disability community. These groups include those living at the intersection of disability and other identities.

The department implemented a Federal Data and Measurement Strategy for Accessibility. The strategy aims to measure and report on progress in the identification and removal of barriers to accessibility. The department will take an intersectional approach in exploring potential data sources, as many identity factors affect how accessibility barriers are experienced. The department will continue to identify strategies to fill data gaps through work with other federal departments.

The Social Finance Fund (SFF) was designed through a lens of social equity and inclusion. It aims to address systemic biases and inequities historically present in financial systems and investment decisions. Applying a social equity lens will ensure extensive GBA+ considerations are incorporated throughout the design and implementation of investment activities.

The SFF fund managers were each required to develop a social equity strategy. They also had to integrate key social equity considerations into their governance, portfolio construction, ecosystem building activities and impact measurement and management. For example, the fund managers will implement the 50 – 30 Challenge in their governance and senior leadership. This approach promotes gender parity (50% women and/or gender diverse people) and increased representation of equity-deserving groups (30%). The department will monitor this requirement and the progress made. It will collect disaggregated data on representation of equity-deserving groups on the leadership teams and governance bodies of funded entities as well.

The SFF also established investment targets. A minimum of 35% of investment will be allocated to SPOs promoting greater social equity. Further, a minimum of 15% will have to be allocated into SPOs promoting greater gender equality.

The department will use the above-mentioned indicators to monitor progress towards the program's objectives. These are to broaden the reach of social finance to underserved populations and to enhance social equity practices in Canada's social finance market. In addition, this data will provide information on which communities face persistent barriers to participating in the social finance market. Such information may help understand those communities that may require additional support.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Funding program continues to advance the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs through its committed funding to various stakeholders and partners. The program provided a total sum of $4.6 million to 13 active grants and contributions projects and 1 grant project. It also funded the annual Together|Ensemble conferene in the amount of $100,000 for the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year.

Through the SDG program, the department provided funding, amounting to $300,000 per year, to distinctions-based National Indigenous Organizations. These funds have been instrumental in fostering stronger partnerships and addressing shared issues, challenges, and opportunities in Canada and internationally. By investing in these initiatives, the program actively contributes to advancing Reconciliation efforts and empowering Indigenous communities.

The Accessible Canada initiative contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 (Decent work and Economic growth). It supports a proactive approach to the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility. This is done through the implementation and ongoing administration of the Accessible Canada Act. It is also realized through the advancement of broader accessibility initiatives. The Accessible Canada Act requires federally regulated entities to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility in 7 priority areas including employment. In doing so, these entities will be called upon to foster inclusion across their workforce including greater labour market integration of persons with disabilities.

The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) contributes to SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities). This initiative contributes to ensuring Black voices are heard and that priorities identified by Black Canadians and communities are addressed. The department launched an External Reference Group, under the SBCCI, to provide advice to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development on program implementation.

The SBCCI also contributes to improving existing infrastructure and increasing the capacity of Black-led organizations to serve Black communities in Canada. For example, the SBCCI established a National Funders Network led by 4 leading Black-led organizations. This network has awarded $50 million to 939 Black-led and Black-serving grassroots organizations across Canada. It also invested over $82 million into more than 1,300 projects to assist Black-led and Black-serving community organizations with renovations and equipment purchases.

The renewed Investment Readiness Program contributed to SDG 8. Through this program, the department funded 441 social purpose organizations (SPOs) to help them develop the skills needed to access alternative sources of financing. This will allow them to use such financing to innovate and grow their social impact. The program also contributed to SDG 10, since over 80% of the funded SPOs were led by and/or serving equity-deserving groups. This reflects the Investment Readiness Program's focus on increasing opportunities as well as decreasing barriers for SPOs led by and serving equity-deserving groups.

Taking Action Together – Canada's 2021 Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, was released in July 2022. The report provides an account of Canada's progress since 2015 towards its 2030 domestic ambitions and targets. It also highlights initiatives by various stakeholders to advance the SDGs at the national, regional, and local levels. These stakeholders include all levels of governments, Indigenous peoples, a wide range of civil society organizations, the private sector and academia. The department led the development of the Annual Report in collaboration with more than 20 departments and agencies, along with central agencies and Statistics Canada.

In January 2022, the department updated the 2030 Agenda webpage on Canada.ca. The page now includes a compendium of Government of Canada programs and policies that contribute to advancing each of the SDGs. This work was undertaken in collaboration with more than 20 departments and agencies, central agencies, and Statistics Canada.

Innovation

The department is working with Statistics Canada to develop a micro-simulation model. This micro-simulation model will analyse the interactions of the proposed Canada Disability Benefit with other disability benefits. The department is engaging with provincial and territorial governments on sharing program data. This data will ensure the accuracy of the program information.

The department contracted the Ase Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities. The goal was to obtain knowledge and subject matter expertise on the needs of Black and other racialized individuals with disabilities in Canada. As a result, recommendations were made in the areas of professional and organizational capacity building strategies. These include mentorship, leadership, and organizational development. Other recommendations related to the need for national strategies and initiatives such as research and awareness campaigns. A final report with recommendations was presented to departmental officials in June 2022.

Results achieved

Below are indicated, for Social Development, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, and the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

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 persons with disabilities, the engagement of seniors and support for children and families

Performance 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 persons with disabilities, children and families and other vulnerable populations

Target: 25% [see note 1 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023 [see note 1 below]

2020 to 2021 actual results: Result to be achieved in the future

2021 to 2022 actual results: Result to be achieved in the future

2022 to 2023 actual results: 61%

Departmental result: barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities are removed

Performance indicator: number of community spaces and workplaces that are more accessible due to Enabling Accessibility Fund funding

Target: 870 [see note 2 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 386

2021 to 2022 actual results: 1,290

2022 to 2023 actual results: 1,048

Departmental result: access to early learning and child care is increased [see notes 3 and 4 below]

Performance 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: creation of 250,000 spaces [see note 5 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2026

2020 to 2021 actual results: not available [see note 6 below]

2021 to 2022 actual results: not available [see note 7 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: not available [see note 7 below]

Departmental result: clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs [see note 8 below]

Performance indicator: number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Social Development programs

Target: 3 out of 3

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 1 out of 1

2021 to 2022 actual results: 2 out of 3 [see note 9 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 3 out of 3

Departmental result: homelessness is prevented and reduced [see note 10 below]

Performance indicator: reduction in the estimated number of shelter users who are chronically homeless

Target: at least a 31% reduction from the 2016 baseline estimated at 26,900 shelter users

Date to achieve target: March 2024

2020 to 2021 actual results: results to be provided by Infrastructure Canada in March 2024

2021 to 2022 actual results: results to be provided by Infrastructure Canada in March 2024

2022 to 2023 actual results: results to be provided by Infrastructure Canada in March 2024

Notes:

1. This is a new indicator for which a target has been set for the first time with limited information and baseline. It is based on one year of data that was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline will be developed with 2 years of trend data from April 2020 to March 2022
2. This target is significantly higher than previous targets given the additional funding allocation to the EAF in Budget 2021 ($129.2 million over 2 fiscal years, starting in 2021 to 2022)
3. In addition to creating space, the Early Learning and Child Care program aims to make child care more affordable. The goal is to reduce regulated child care fees to an average of $10 a day by the end of fiscal year 2025 to 2026
4. While the Government of Québec supports the general principles of the Early Learning and Child Care Framework, it does not adhere to the Framework as it intends to preserve its sole responsibility in this area on its territory. The Government of Canada has entered into an asymmetrical agreement with the province of Quebec that will allow for further improvements to their system
5. The 250,000 target is part of funding for all provinces and territories to establish a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. These results are cumulative, excluding the 40,000 spaces created under Bilateral Agreements
6. No result will be available for this fiscal year, since agreements related to the Canada-wide early learning and child care system had not yet been negotiated
7. Space creation data will be available for all provinces and territories following the submission of their annual reports in October 2023
8. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca
9. Notification of funding is the only service standard not met
10. This departmental result is expected to move to Infrastructure Canada

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

The following table shows, for the Social Development core responsibility, budgetary spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as actual spending for that year.

Table 1: budgetary financial resources (dollars) for the core responsibility of Social Development

Spending category	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending	6,135,980,842	6,135,980,842	6,501,146,273	6,463,358,293	327,377,451
Spending in specified purpose accounts	0	0	0	0	0
Revenues netted against expenditures	0	0	0	0	0
Net spending	6,135,980,842	6,135,980,842	6,501,146,273	6,463,358,293	327,377,451

Explanation of variance: no significant variance.

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

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

Human resources (full-time equivalents) for the core responsibility of Social Development

The following indicates, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents: 593

2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents: 638

2022 to 2023 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents): 45

Explanation of variances: no significant variance.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Employment and Social Development program inventory is available in 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.

Results

Seniors have income support for retirement

The Old Age Security (OAS) program provides a minimum income to seniors and contribute to their income replacement in retirement. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the OAS program provided $60.8 billion in OAS benefits to 7.0 million beneficiaries. This included:

• $46.2 billion in OAS pension benefits to 6.9 million seniors
• $14.0 billion in Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits paid to 2.2 million low income seniors
• $529 million in Allowance benefits paid to 71,400 near seniors

As announced in Budget 2021, the government permanently increased the monthly OAS pension by 10% for seniors aged 75 and over in July 2022.

This increase benefitted over 3 million seniors aged 75 and over in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. In addition, it provided over $800 more to full pensioners over the first year. This is helping to address the increased financial vulnerability that older seniors may face. As seniors age, they are at greater risk of outliving their savings and have a reduced ability to supplement their income with paid work. These seniors often face higher health-related expenses because of the onset of illness or disability.

This permanent increase was preceded by a taxable grant of $500 issued in August 2021 to meet the immediate needs of OAS pensioners who were 75 or over as of June 30, 2022.

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) provides partial earnings replacement to workers in retirement. It also provides supplemental benefits in the event of disability and death of the contributor. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the CPP provided 5.7 million individuals a total of $41.9 billion in CPP retirement pensions and $932 million in post-retirement benefits. Additionally, 1.2 million surviving spouses or common-law partners were paid $4.9 billion in survivor's pensions.

Many Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and Allowance recipients experienced financial difficulty because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some experienced additional difficulties because of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) they received in 2020. These pandemic benefits caused a reduction in their GIS or Allowance benefits in July 2021, as they had raised their income.

To alleviate this financial hardship, the government provided the One-time grant for Guaranteed Income Supplement Recipients who received Pandemic Benefits. This payment compensated these seniors for the GIS/Allowance they had lost over the course of the July 2021 to June 2022 payment period.

As a first step, 1,200 grant payments, valued at $13.7 million, were manually issued in March 2022 to seniors in dire financial need. Payments to other affected low-income seniors continued in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. In total, about $731 million was issued to over 220,600 individuals in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. The total investment from March 2022 to March 2023 was $744.7 million.

To ensure this issue does not recur, the government amended the Old Age Security Act. Beginning in July 2022, federal pandemic benefits received in 2021 or later will be exempted from the calculation of GIS and Allowance benefits.

Persons with disabilities and their families have financial support

The final improvements to the Social Security Tribunal (SST) required changes to the legislation and regulations. The amendments to the Department of Employment and Social Development Act and the new Social Security Tribunal Regulations, came into force on December 5, 2022. The purpose of these changes was to ensure the appeal process is more client-centric, faster, and simpler. One of the most important changes was the introduction of the “de novo” model for second level appeals for income security programs (CPP and Old Age Security). This model allows new evidence to be presented and provides a final opportunity for appellants to present their case in a fresh hearing.

The department is developing a reporting framework and data strategy to monitor outcomes of General Division appeals at the Social Security Tribunal. This strategy aims to promote timely and quality decision-making.

The expansion of the quality assurance program was successfully implemented. Reviews of both initial and reconsideration files are now underway. In addition to assessment of initial files, beginning in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, analysis of reconsideration files will be used to inform program improvements.

Services to Canadians

As of June 2022, eligible clients with valid contributions started receiving payments for the first additional component as part of the CPP enhancements. At that time, system changes were also introduced to automate the conversion of the death benefit to a flat-rate payment. These system changes also automated the removal of the survivor's pension reduction for individuals that lost a spouse or partner before reaching age 45.

The department continued efforts to improve CPP Disability service delivery and enhance client experience, including:

• Developing a new learning framework to help medical adjudicators improve their decision-making skills
• Analyzing the existing CPP Disability decision-making processes to streamline the adjudication process, leading to more consistent and timely decisions
• Conducting more targeted client engagement calls
• Creating proactive and updated communications to help clients better understand CPP Disability program requirements and available support

Gender-based analysis plus

Overall, limited GBA plus analysis was conducted on the Canada Disability Savings Program (CDSP) due to data limitations. Key program results were monitored by sex, income level, province/territory of residence, and language. This analysis helps inform targeted outreach and promotional activities to increase take up in regions where there is lower than average participation.

The department is working to increase the availability of gender and sociodemographic information for GBA plus analysis. The CDSP system currently only accepts male or female sex identifiers for applicants. The department will be undertaking a project to collect gender data instead of sex and to introduce a non-binary gender option. This will enable beneficiaries and holders to identify their gender when opening a plan and applying for Grant and Bond. It is expected this gender-based data will be available to the program in 2024.

In 2022, men represented 59.9% and women represented 40.1% of Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) beneficiaries aged 0 to 59 years. These proportions are closely aligned with the distribution of individuals approved to receive the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) in 2022. Approval for the Disability Tax Credit is a key criteria in determining eligibility for the Registered Disability Savings Plan.

As of March 31, 2023, there were 263,861 active Registered Disability Savings Plans. Of all Registered Disability Savings Plan beneficiaries 54.7% (144,380) are aged 0 to 34 years. Among them, men make up 65.4% (94,416) and women make up 34.6% (49,964). Those aged 35 to 49 years comprise 26.7% (70,420) of RDSP beneficiaries, within which men make up 54.4% (37,337) and women 45.6% (32,083).

Of the 263,861 Registered Disability Savings Plans, 61.8% belong to low- or modest-income individuals and 27.5% belong to high-income individuals. The remaining 11.7% belong to individuals whose plan is held by an agency or who have no declared or found income.

Recent amendments to the Department of Employment and Social Development Act will allow the department to use Canada Revenue Agency-collected data to perform policy analysis, reporting and evaluation functions for the CPP. Access to this data will allow ESDC to conduct more in-depth GBA plus analysis related to the CPP. Such analysis will especially pertain to marginalized groups, such as CPP survivors, disability pension recipients, and lower-income seniors.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The Canada Disability Savings Program (CDSP) contributes to SDG 1 (End poverty in all its forms) and SDG 3 (Good health and well-being). The program supports the long-term financial security of persons with disabilities. In 2022, 76% of program's beneficiaries aged 0 to 49 years received the Canada Disability Savings Bond and/or the Canada Disability Savings Grant. Since the program was introduced in December 2008 until December 2022, the Government of Canada paid $3.97 billion in Grants and $1.67 billion in Bonds.

The OAS program contributes to advancing SDGs 1 (No poverty) and 5 (Gender equality). While the beneficiaries of the OAS pension are gender-balanced (54% women and 46% men), more women (58%) than men (42%) benefit from the GIS, and predominantly more women (85%) than men (15%) benefit from the Allowances. In addition, more women (56%) than men (44%) are OAS pensioners aged 75 and over and are receiving a higher pension amount as a result of the permanent increase to the OAS pension for seniors aged 75 and over, which started in July 2022.

The CPP contributes to SDG 1, and more specifically, CPP's policies and program support the UN Global Indicator Framework target 1.3: “implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve sustainable coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.” The CPP provides income replacement for Canadian workers and their families in the event of retirement, disability, or death of a contributor. In fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the CPP provided a total of $52.9 billion in benefits to an average of 6.4 million beneficiaries per month who include retirees, people with disabilities and their children, surviving spouses or common law partners adjusting to life as a single-income household, and to children of deceased contributors.

The recently implemented CPP Enhancement, which began its 7-year phase-in in 2019, will also assist in meeting the objectives of the UN SDG 1. It will help Canadians achieve a more secure retirement and increase the level of earnings replacement provided under the CPP from 25.00% to 33.33% by 2065. The gradual implementation of the CPP Enhancement will help increase the overall value of CPP retirement pensions, post-retirement benefits, disability pensions and survivor pensions Canadians will qualify to receive moving forward.

Innovation

The department continued to develop its pilot project to support CPPD beneficiaries in returning to work if or when they are able. It has completed an initial design for a Return to Work pilot. This design is based on international research, a literature review, program data analysis, and extensive stakeholder engagement. The project received $9.1 million in funding over 3 years for its implementation. Consultations continue and refinement of the implementation plan is ongoing. The launch of the pilot is planned for the last quarter of fiscal year 2023 to 2024. The pilot is expected to run for approximately 2 years.

Results achieved

Below are indicated, for the Pensions and Benefits core responsibility, the departmental results, the performance indicators, the targets and their achievement dates, for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Departmental result: seniors have income support for retirement

Performance indicator 1 of 5: percentage of seniors living in poverty

Target: at most 6.1%

Date to achieve target: December 2030

2020 to 2021 actual results: 5.7% (2019)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 3.1% (2020)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 5.6% (2021)

Performance indicator 2 of 5: percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security Pension at age 65 and over in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors aged 65 and over (OAS pension take-up rate)

Target: at least 94% [see note 1 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 97.1% (2018)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 96.8% (2019)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 96.7% (2020)

Performance indicator 3 of 5: percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security pension at age 70 and over in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors aged 70 and over (OAS pension take-up rate 70+)

Target: at least 97%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 99% (2018)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 99% (2019)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 99% (2020)

Performance indicator 4 of 5: percentage of seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors

Target: at least 90%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 91.2% (2018)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 92.2% (2019)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 91.9% (2020)

Performance indicator 5 of 5: percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors aged 70+ receiving retirement benefits

Target: at least 99%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 99% (2018)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 99% (2019)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 99% (2020)

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

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 65% (2018)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 65% (2019)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 65% (2020)

Performance indicator 2 of 3: percentage of Canadians approved for the Disability Tax Credit who have a Registered Disability Savings Plan to encourage private savings [see note 2 below]

Target: at least 36%

Date to achieve target: December 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 35% (2021)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 36% (2022)

2022 to 2023 actual results: not available at the time of publishing

Performance indicator 3 of 3: percentage of Registered Disability Savings Plan beneficiaries that have been issued 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 2022

2020 to 2021 actual results: 80% (2020)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 78% (2021)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 76% (2022)

Departmental result: clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs [see note 3 below]

Performance indicator 1 of 4: number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Pensions and Benefits programs

Target: 10 out of 10

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 5 out of 10

2021 to 2022 actual results: 5 out of 10

2022 to 2023 actual results: 4 out of 10

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 98%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 95.9%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 94.3%

Performance indicator 3 of 4: percentage of decisions on applications for a Canada Pension Plan disability benefit within 120 calendar days

Target: at least 80%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 61%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 87.2%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 78.7% [see note 4 below]

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 91%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 89.5%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 87.6% [see note 5 below]

Notes:

1. The department introduced a new target for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension take-up rate, considering that not all eligible seniors apply right away. In 2018, more seniors deferred their OAS pension until later, which affected the take-up rate. Since 2013, seniors can delay receiving their OAS pension until age 70 for higher monthly benefits. The department now measures take-up among eligible seniors aged 70 and over
2. This indicator focuses on Canadian residents with disabilities aged 0 to 49. The department updated the calculation method in 2023 for accuracy and timeliness, so year-to-year comparisons should be used cautiously
3. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca.
4. The department is continually working to improve results when service standards are not met. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the average time for decisions was 76 business days. It has increased recruitment, and anticipate service standards will stabilize in fiscal year 2023 to 2024
5. In the 2022 Fall Economic Statement, the Government allocated $519 million for OAS processing and $90 million for the Pensions Call Centre. Thanks to this funding, Service Canada improved its service level in fiscal year 2022 to 2023 and expects to meet service standards in fiscal year 2023 to 2024.

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

The following table shows, for the Pensions and Benefits core responsibility, budgetary spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as actual spending for that year.

Table 2: budgetary financial resources (dollars) for the core responsibility of Pensions and Benefits

Spending category	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending	70,472,443,965	127,717,000,958	127,678,546,058	127,532,814,815	(184,186,143)
Spending in specified purpose accounts	0	57,244,556,993	55,954,822,261	55,954,822,261	(1,289,734,732)
Revenues netted against expenditures	336,600,592	336,600,592	358,327,649	325,567,475	(11,033,117)
Net spending	70,135,843,373	70,135,843,373	71,365,396,148	71,252,425,079	1,116,581,706

Explanation of variances: the variance between planned and actual spending for the fiscal year 2022 to 2023 is mainly due to an increase of the Old Age Security pension payments. This increase is explained by an average monthly rate higher than anticipated due to a higher forecasted inflation rate. The variance is also due to an increased number of beneficiaries for the Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits.

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

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

Human resources (full-time equivalents) for the core responsibility of Pensions and Benefits

The following indicates, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents: 6,511

2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents: 7,276

2022 to 2023 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents): 765

Explanation of variances: the increase in full-time equivalents (FTEs) mainly reflects additional staff hired to deliver the Old Age Security program and advance the Benefits Delivery Modernization program.

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

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.

Results

Students, including those from low- and middle-income families, are provided with federally funded supports to help them participate in post-secondary education

The department took several measures to increase awareness and take-up of the Canada Learning Bond (CLB). It sent 520,621 letters to primary caregivers of CLB-eligible children and youth. These letters informed them of their eligibility, the amount they could receive and the process for requesting the benefit.

The department also revamped its online presence on Canada.ca on the topic of Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). It also improved the Web content focused on the education savings benefits, like the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) and the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG). It enhanced readability and accessibility, and better communicated to Canadians the benefits of education savings in RESPs. In addition, it collaborated with community partners and RESP promoters to disseminate updated promotional materials, including for Indigenous people. The department sent approximately 90,200 letters to CLB-eligible families that these community organizations serve. The letters provided information about the process of opening a RESP and on ways to request the education savings benefits in their community. It also organized a series of panel discussions during Education Savings Week on promoting the CLB to adult beneficiaries. These measures help Canadians take advantage of incentives to pursue post-secondary education.

To test ways to help people access the CLB, the department supported 13 community-based initiatives under the CLB Pilot Project. The department provided advice, promotional materials and evaluation support to capture findings and insights about project design, implementation and outcomes. The funded organizations included First Nations band councils, Indigenous-serving organizations, newcomer settlement organizations, school boards, post-secondary institutions and community organizations.

The department also implemented initiatives to support Canadians in their learning process. In Budget 2021, the government announced an investment of 118.4 million over 2 years to expand after-school programming. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department supported more than 100,000 students with after-school programming under its Supports for Student Learning Program. This support was provided through more than 40 youth-serving organizations delivering projects across Canada.

The department also supported student learning under the Outbound Student Mobility Pilot, also known as Global Skills Opportunity (GSO). Travel under the pilot began in March 2022, after being postponed due to restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. From April 2022 to March 2023, 2,812 college and undergraduate university students completed or were in the process of completing a GSO experience.

Student borrowers are able to repay their federal student debt

The department has taken steps to ease financial burdens on student borrowers. For instance, it extended the temporary measure to eliminate interest on Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans until March 31st, 2023. This measure is intended to reduce financial pressures experienced by students. This enhancement has benefited more than 1.3 million Canadians repaying their student and apprentice loans.

The department also enhanced the Repayment Assistance Plan. Starting November 1, 2022, the zero-payment income threshold for Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans increased from $25,000 to $40,000 for individual borrowers. This means borrowers are not required to make payments until their annual income reaches at least $40,000. The income threshold was adjusted upwards based on family size and is indexed to inflation. The department also reduced the monthly payments for those on the Repayment Assistance Plan from 20% to 10% of a borrower's household income. This measure is expected to have benefited more than 121,000 borrowers during the academic year. It ensures that no borrower has to pay more than they can reasonably afford.

The department temporarily extended the doubling of Canada Student Grants until July 31st, 2023. This included doubling Canada Student Grants up to $6,000 for full-time students and up to $3,600 for part-time students. The Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities was increased to $4,000 and full-time students with dependants could receive up to $3,200. This measure is expected to have supported 558,000 students in academic year 2022 to 2023. Moreover, the department now permanently allows students to use their current year's income, instead of the previous year's income, to determine eligibility for grants. The increased flexibility is projected to have benefited 15,000 students in academic year 2022 to 2023.

The department also extended the adult learner top-up until July 2023. This measure provided adult learners who received the Canada Student Grant with an additional $1,600 for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Approximately 114,000 students have benefited from this measure in academic year 2022 to 2023.

Lastly, the department revised the definition of disability in the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program. This allowed students with persistent or prolonged disabilities, though not necessarily permanent, to access additional supports.

Detailed data results for the academic year 2022 to 2023 will be available in the 2022 to 2023 CSFA Program Annual Report and Statistical Review, which will be released in Summer 2024.

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

The department continued to support Canadians in their education, learning and training through numerous initiatives. The department thus contributed to building a competent and resilient workforce through the following initiatives.

The department launched the Community Workforce Development Program, inviting proposals for projects in rural and remote communities across Canada.

The Future Skills Centre launched 59 projects and published 29 research reports. In early 2022 to 2023, the Future Skills Centre announced a $19 million investment to scale 13 projects, selected through a call for proposal. These projects target the growing skilled labour shortage and widening skills-to-jobs mismatch in Canada. These investments have shown early success through program results such as strong training completion rates. 

In March 2022, the Centre launched the Northern Skills Strategy to support northern and Indigenous communities to develop and implement new skills, ideas, and innovations. Furthermore, in September 2022, members of the Centre's leadership team met with over 25 leaders from the community, Indigenous leadership, education and skills training providers, business, and federal, provincial, municipal, and Indigenous governments. To build on these discussions, the Centre is exploring regional partnerships and gaining insights from 29 projects valued at more than $21 million across Northern Canada. Additional information on these projects can be found on the Future Skills website.

The Skills for Success Program (previously Literacy and Essential Skills) funded 60 ongoing projects to deliver foundational and transferable skills training to Canadians in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. The department also improved data from underrepresented groups in the labour market by introducing a survey to capture additional data about underrepresented groups in the labour market. These groups include racialized Canadians, newcomers, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, women, and official languages minority communities. The survey also captures data on services and supports that help funding recipients complete their training.

Announced in 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Women's Employment Readiness (WER) Pilot Program is a 2-year, $50 million pilot that funds 25 organizations to provide and test pre-employment and skills development supports for women facing multiple barriers to employment. The pilot targets 4 groups of women including racialized women and/or Indigenous women; women with disabilities; women from the 2SLGBTQI+ community; and women who have been out of work for an extended period. The pilot ends March 31, 2024. Results will also be made public in a "What we Heard" report expected to be published in 2024.

Each year, the Government of Canada provides over $3 billion for individuals and employers to receive training and employment supports. These funds are transferred to provinces and territories through the bilateral Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs). Each year, more than one million participants receive training and employment supports funded by these bilateral transfers. LMDA results will be available in Chapter III of the 2022 to 2023 Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report in April 2024. WDA results will be available in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year and reported in the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Results Report.

Through the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, the federal government supported economic recovery and emerging workforce challenges by investing up to $410.5 million in 21 projects led by organizations with in-depth knowledge of skills issues in a specific sector or multiple sectors. Many of these projects were launched in December 2022. Lead organizations are implementing activities to help employers and connect Canadians with training to access good jobs in key sectors. The projects also support equity-deserving groups by promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce and providing wrap-around supports to those facing barriers to participation.

The department continued to provide financial incentives to small and medium-sized employers to enhance skills. Through the Apprenticeship Service, the federal government funded 19 organizations that work with employers in the skilled trades, allowing them to distribute financial incentives to small and medium-sized employers. This includes supporting employers to hire first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades. They also provide employers with additional supports to increase diversity of equity-deserving groups in the skilled trades. The department worked with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to include the Apprenticeship Service in their Business Benefit Finder application. This integration will promote the service to employers and help increase program take-up. Results for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 will be published in the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Results Report.

Canadian youth need supports to gain the valuable skills and work experiences they need to succeed at getting and keeping jobs. These supports, which include wraparound services, mentoring, mental health supports, benefit young people including those facing barriers to employment. The department's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy provided such support to 17,241 Canadian youth in 2022 to 2023. Overall, the YESS Program benefited Indigenous youth (17.59%); visible minority youth (38.76%, and youth living with a disability (25.27%). In fall 2022, Ministerial and Parliamentary Secretary roundtables were held with youth with disabilities, organizations that serve youth with disabilities, and employers. Participants shared how the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy could better support youth with disabilities, as well as the barriers faced by this youth group. A What We Heard Report has now been published.

The Canada Summer Job Program is a component of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy delivered by the department. It has surpassed its target, creating over 115,003 job placements for youth in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

The Student Work Placement Program has offered over 51,711 placement opportunities, exceeding the annual target. In addition, Ministerial and Parliamentary Secretary roundtables with a diverse range of stakeholders took place from July to August 2022. These examined the role of the program in encouraging and increasing availability of Work-Integrated Learning opportunities.

Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market

The department supported Canadians facing obstacles in accessing the labour market through various programs and activities.

The Opportunities Fund served 4,047 persons with disabilities increase their economic participation and independence.

From January to December 2022, the department held ongoing engagement consultations with youth, Indigenous, service providers, and employers. These were in support of the Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities, which aims to build a more equitable society for persons with disabilities. The employment strategy is part of the government's Disability Inclusion Action Plan.

In December 2022, further implementing the action plan, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion announced the creation of a Disability Inclusion Business Council. The council will provide advice and recommendations to the Minister on how to support Canadian businesses, so they become more disability confident. The council will also incubate, design and launch a pan-Canadian independent disability business network led by and for employers.

The department funded over 120 Indigenous service delivery organizations through the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program. These organizations provided culturally appropriate skills and employment training to First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban/non-affiliated Indigenous people. This training will help them to improve their skills, strengthen labour market attachment and fulfill their long-term career goals. Overall, training and other supports were provided to 54,694 Indigenous clients, including 48,442 new clients. This resulted in 20,167 Indigenous people finding employment and 6,204 returning to school for further training.

The department introduced a renewed approach for the Skills and Partnership Fund, which compliments the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program. This approach supports training to employment for Indigenous people through partnerships between Indigenous organizations and employers. It is based on engagement with the department's partners and will be implemented in phases.

The department put in place 26 agreements for new projects in fiscal year 2022 to 2023. The call for proposals through which the projects were selected prioritized 5 sectors, informed by the needs Indigenous organizations and employers. These sectors are:

• Green Economy
• Information and Communications Technology
• Infrastructure
• Blue Economy
• the Indigenous Public Sector

Both programs helped to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. They provided dedicated resources to support Indigenous-led priorities and helped to reduce the skills and employment gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. The Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program provides Indigenous service delivery partners with flexibility and autonomy. As such, they can design and deliver programs to meet the needs of their respective communities.

The department continued to help address the power imbalance between workers and employers while ensuring that employers can efficiently hire foreign workers. In April 2022, the government announced the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Workforce Solutions Road Map. This map includes measures such as:

• Removing the 6% Refusal to Process Policy for low-wage occupations in the accommodations, food services and retail trades sectors
• Increasing the validity period for Labour Market Impact Assessments from 6 months to 18 months
• Temporarily allowing employers from 7 sectors with demonstrated labour shortages to hire up to 30% of their workforce through the TFW Program for low-wage positions
• Permanently increasing the maximum employment duration from 180 days up to 270 days per year. This applies to seasonal positions that are already exempt from caps on temporary foreign workers workforce

In recognition of the continuing challenges faced by Canadian employers, the Government of Canada extended a number these measures until October 30, 2023.

Along with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the department implemented a series of regulatory amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. These amendments better protect temporary foreign workers and help prevent mistreatment and abuse during their stay in Canada. They include mandating that employers provide all temporary foreign workers with information about their rights in Canada. They also prohibit reprisal by employers against workers, particularly for those who come forward with complaints. As well, they require employers to provide reasonable access to health-care services.

The department advanced the development of health and safety items to support the inspection of employer-provided accommodations. To this end, it held the first TFW Program Ministerial Consultative Roundtable in July of 2022. This meeting was attended by a broad group of stakeholders. These included representatives from provincial, territorial and municipal governments, migrant worker support organizations, employer associations, and foreign government officials from source nations. The stakeholders provided their views and experiences related to housing.

The department continued to focus its compliance inspections in high-risk areas for potential employers' non-compliance. This also allows the department to hold employers accountable for their treatment of workers. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, more than 2,100 employer inspections were completed, and of these, 95% were found compliant. Almost half of employers were brought into compliance after they were able to provide acceptable justification to initial violations, and in some situations, were able to remediate. More than $1.6 million in administrative monetary penalties have been imposed to non-compliant employers. In 7 instances, employers were banned from accessing the TFW Program for various lengths of time. The department also continued making improvements to the quality and timeliness of employer inspections and initiated the work to strengthen its compliance regime.

The department launched the Migrant Worker Support Program in October of 2022 to help workers better understand and exercise their rights. The program has since funded 10 migrant worker support organizations through 11 agreements to deliver airport orientation and community-based services. Airport Orientation Services are offered in 3 airports across Canada: Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. Recipients receiving funding for community-based services are in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. These organizations have negotiated agreements with nearly 100 sub-agreement holders to deliver community-based services across Canada.

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

The Government remains committed to modernizing the EI program. To this end, it undertook 2 years of extensive consultations with Canadians and stakeholders in 2021 and 2022. These consultations were held over 2 phases (August 2021 to February 2022; April 2022 to July 2022), and included stakeholder roundtables, written submissions and an online survey. “What We Heard” reports from both phases were published and remain available online (see Phase 1 and Phase 2).

The government also committed to extending the EI sickness benefits from 15 weeks to 26 weeks to support workers who are in the difficult circumstance of having to temporarily leave their job due to illness, injury, or quarantine. This extension has come into effect and applies to new claims beginning on or after December 18, 2022.

Services to Canadians

The department has continued to improve the online experience for student borrowers under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program. The program implemented a payment reminder communication for users. This provides the ability to opt in and out of receiving payment reminders via email. Users can now also contact the National Student Loans Service Centre by email for generic questions. These enhancements meet the Government of Canada accessibility standards.

The department undertook several initiatives to achieve efficiencies in processing Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department processed 64.8% more files than it did the previous fiscal year. It also improved its average processing time by 11.5 business days.

Additional funding, streamlining measures and modernization efforts have enabled the department to reduce administrative procedures and touch points for employers. The department is better able to respond to unprecedented employer demand and improve service to Canadians.

A key modernization effort was the transition to the LMIA Online Portal as the primary method of submission for LMIA applications. The department supported key partners' transition to the online portal and actively promoted the portal for new employers. The enhanced LMIA Online Portal presents benefits for clients. It includes an intuitive flow of application questions and the ability to obtain real-time updates of the application status. It also gives access to correspondence and decision letters issued by Service Canada. The LMIA Online Portal generally results in faster processing time.

The department revisited the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy performance measurement framework. The aim is to collect disaggregated data beyond the broad categories of Indigenous status, gender, visible minority and disability. These, amongst other data collection updates, will better support decision making to improve YESS program design and delivery. This will provide information to support the strategy's ability to evaluate what interventions and supports work best for which youth group.

Gender-based analysis plus

The department undertook several initiatives to collect important program data for gender-based analysis plus. These initiatives aim to improve the quality of data collected to measure and monitor gender and diversity outcomes in skills programs and include:

• Developing a GBA plus Data Dictionary to address inconsistencies in the definition and categorization of socio-demographic information of program participants. This evergreen dictionary provides uniform terminology for socio-demographic variables collected in skills programs. This improves the capacity to discover and compare data across these programs for better analysis and measurement of program outcomes
• Undertaking 2 data-linking projects. These projects provide a better understanding of program outcomes for persons with disabilities and equity-deserving youth facing barriers to employment. Data linking connects eligible datasets to allow policy makers to gather existing data from different sources without having to collect new data. These initiatives reduce administrative burden and create more robust data sets to examine outcomes for diverse program participants
• Completed 4 qualitative research projects to increase understanding of the lived experiences of underrepresented groups in the labour market. That includes their experiences and/or perceptions of skills programs. These projects examined barriers to employment faced by hard-to-reach youth, and employer strategies for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the skilled trades. They also looked at best practices for wraparound supports for equity-deserving groups. As well, they explored ways to improve voluntary self-reporting rates among participants of departmental skills and employment programs

The department continued to analyze the sociodemographic profiles of beneficiaries of the Canada Education Savings Program (CESP). To this end, it linked its administrative data to Census data on Statistics Canada's Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform. The data obtained were used to inform ongoing policy and outreach efforts.

The department started presenting CESP results by sex in its 2020 Annual Statistical Review. It is gradually shifting from collection of data on sex to collection of data on gender. Currently, promoters collect sex information (male or female) of the beneficiary during the application process. The department is working on modifying its systems so that promoters will now be able to collect gender information. This will include a non-binary gender option, and an option to indicate when no gender information was provided.

The department continued to collect data under the Canada Student Financial Assistance (CSFA) Program on various aspects of federal student financial assistance.  These included loan/grant disbursements, student debt levels, Repayment Assistance Plan usage, and delinquency and default rates. Data collected by the CSFA Program was analyzed by gender, age, province, income, Indigenous and disability statuses, and program type. This allowed the program to measure the impacts of specific changes on gender and age groups for various groups of students. The CSFA Program also linked its administrative data with other data sources through Statistics Canada's Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform. This allowed the program to expand its capacity to analyze and report on impacts by gender and diversity.

The department collects data from Supports for Student Learning Program (SSLP) funding recipients, which, where possible, is disaggregated by gender and target populations served. This includes Indigenous students, students with disabilities, racialized students, students identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, students from low-income households, students experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. It also includes students in or aging out of care, students who are newcomers to Canada, students from official language minority communities and students living in a rural, remote or northern area.

For example, under Global Skills Opportunity (GSO), Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada collect and share information with ESDC on program participants. From April 2022 to March 2023, 68% of participants identified as students from low-income households, 17% as students with disabilities, and 13% as Indigenous students. Note: 20% of participants identified as more than one of these 3 priority groups.

Canada Service Corps (CSC) receives quarterly data that is used to determine the participation of target groups for the program. These target groups include Indigenous youth, Black and racialized youth, youth with disabilities, and youth living in rural or remote areas. They also include 2SLGBTQI+ youth, youth from low-income families, newcomer youth, and official language minority communities youth. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, 81% of CSC participants identified as coming from Indigenous and underserved populations.

CSC continues to apply GBA plus to improve its programming. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the program actively encouraged greater participation of organizations led by Indigenous and under-served populations. To this end, it established a diversity micro-grants funding stream and prioritized diverse organizations across all funding streams.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The department contributed to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various ways:

SDG 1 (No Poverty): Through the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program the department provided training and career support to 54,694 Indigenous clients, including 48,442 new clients, helping them participate in the workforce.

SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The ISET Program supported 27,342 Indigenous women, including 24,217 new participants, making up 50% of the program. This included support like childcare and transportation.

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): ISET reduced skills and employment gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. It provided employment training and support to 6,271 Indigenous persons with disabilities.

SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Through EI maternity, parental, and caregiving benefits, the department saw an increase in maternity claims (176,900 in 2021 to 2022). The share of parental claims established by men also increased to 28.3% in 2021 to 2022.

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program supported equity-deserving groups in accessing training. This includes women, Indigenous people, newcomers, racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

SDG 4 (Quality Education): The Canada Education Savings Program helped students access post-secondary education by providing RESP grants. In 2022, 493,299 post-secondary students used an average of $10,359 from their RESP to pay for education.

SDG 4 (Quality Education): The Supports for Student Learning Program supported equal access to education resources and support systems for students facing barriers. These include:

• Indigenous students
• Racialized students
• Students with disabilities
• Students from low-income households
• 2SLGBTQI+ students

SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The Global Skills Opportunity program supported students, especially those from low-income households, Indigenous students, and students with disabilities, to study and work abroad, enhancing their education and employability.

SDG 4 (Quality Education): The Canada Service Corps program helped youth in their lifelong learning journeys through service opportunities in their communities.

SDG 4 (Quality Education): The Canada Student Financial Assistance Program provided grants and loans to students from low and middle-income families, including students with dependents and disabilities.

Innovation

Community Workforce Development Program: This program tests innovative approaches to support local economic development. It encourages collaboration among community stakeholders, including employers and training providers. Together, they enhance the skills of jobseekers for emerging jobs. Lessons learned from this program will improve skills development initiatives. Projects will begin in rural and remote communities across Canada in summer 2023, with results reported in the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Results Report.

First Nations Labour Market Survey and Skills Inventory Pilot: More than 100 First Nations communities participated in this pilot as of March 31, 2023, addressing the gap in labour market information. The pilot empowers communities to collect and analyze their own data for better planning and job matching. The pilot has been extended through fiscal year 2023 to 2024.

Skills for Success Program: This program funded 57 projects, developing innovative tools and training approaches for all Canadians in the labour market, including underrepresented groups. Thousands improved their skills, with practices and tools shared widely.

Efficient EI Call Centre Model: The department has implemented a model to optimize workforce allocation between EI call centers and processing centers. More than 180 officers, along with support from specialists and team leaders, achieved an 87% first-contact resolution rate for EI claims, ensuring client needs are met promptly.

Results achieved

The following indicates, for the Learning, Skills Development and Employment core responsibility, the departmental results, the performance indicators, the targets and their achievement dates for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

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

Performance indicator 1 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 [see note 1 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 267,490 (2019 to 2020) [see note 2 below]

2021 to 2022 actual results: 278,995 (2020 to 2021) [see note 2 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 268,124 (2021 to 2022) [see note 2 below]

Performance 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 [see note 1 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 804,070 (2019 to 2020) [see note 2 below]

2021 to 2022 actual results: 607,149 (2020 to 2021) [see note 2 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 664,922 (2021 to 2022) [see note 2 below]

Performance indicator 3 of 6: employment or returns to school following training/supports through federally administered programs

Target: 151,945

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 96,699 [see note 3 below]

2021 to 2022 actual results: 196,498 [see note 3 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 132,975 [see note 4 below]

Performance indicator 4 of 6: number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports through federally administered programs

Target: 166.121

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 152,212 [see note 3 below]

2021 to 2022 actual results: 285,684 [see note 3 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 269,607 [see note 5 below]

Performance indicator 5 of 6: percentage change in Canadians aged 25 to 64 enrolled in university or college

Target: at least a 3% increase (2022)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 1% decrease (2020)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 5.7% increase (2021)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 2.6% decrease (2022) [see note 6 below]

Performance indicator 6 of 6: percentage of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 24 that are enrolled in university or college

Target: at least 45.5% (2022)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 44.6% (2020)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 45.2% (2021)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 44.5% (2022) [see note 6 below]

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

Performance indicator 1 of 4: difference in the employment rate between Indigenous peoples (First Nations status and non-status, Inuit and Métis) and non-Indigenous peoples [see note 7 below]

Target: at most 15.6 percentage points

Date to achieve target: March 2027

2020 to 2021 actual results: 14.1 percentage points (Census 2021)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 14.1 percentage points (Census 2021)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 14.1 percentage points (Census 2021)

Performance indicator 2 of 4: difference in the employment rate between persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities [see note 7 below]

Target: at most 25.2 percentage points

Date to achieve target: March 2024

2020 to 2021 actual results: 20.8 percentage points (2017 Canadian Survey of Disability)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 20.8 percentage points (2017 Canadian Survey of Disability)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 20.8 percentage points (2017 Canadian Survey of Disability)

Performance indicator 3 of 4: difference in the employment rate between women and men [see note 7 below]

Target: at most 5.6 percentage points

Date to achieve target: March 2027

2020 to 2021 actual results: 6.1 percentage points (Census 2017) [see note 8 below]

2021 to 2022 actual results: 6.1 percentage points (Census 2017) [see note 8 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 6.1 percentage points (Census 2017) [see note 8 below]

Performance indicator 4 of 4: difference in the employment rate gap between visible minority group members and the non-visible minority population [see note 7 below]

Target: at most 6.1 percentage points

Date to achieve target: March 2027

2020 to 2021 actual results: 4.6 percentage points (Census 2021)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 4.6 percentage points (Census 2021)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 4.6 percentage points (Census 2021)

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

Performance indicator: Beneficiary to Unemployed Contributor ratio (B/UC ratio)

Target: 64.3%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 64.4% (MAR 2019 to 2020)

2021 to 2022 actual results: not available [see note 9 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: not available [see note 9 below]

Departmental result: students, including those from low and middle-income families, are provided with federally funded supports to help them participate in post-secondary education (PSE)

Performance indicator 1 of 2: percentage of low- and middle-income Canadian young adults participating in post-secondary education

Target: at least 50.5% (2018)

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 50.1% (2017)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 50.1% (2018)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 51.5% (2019)

Performance indicator 2 of 2: percentage of children under 18 who were eligible for the Canada Learning Bond and/or the additional amount of the Canada Education Savings Grant and were provided with any of those benefits in the current year

Target: at least 30%

Date to achieve target: December 2022

2020 to 2021 actual results: 28.5% (2017)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 31.2% (2018)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 32.3% (2019) [see note 10 below]

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

Performance indicator: the percentage of loans in repayment that are paid each year

Target: at least 11% [see note 11 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 11.9% (2020 to 2021)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 15.8% (2021 to 2022)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 15.8% (2021 to 2022) [see note 12 below]

Departmental result: clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs [see note 13 below]

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 17 out of 23

2021 to 2022 actual results: 19 out of 25

2022 to 2023 actual results: 19 out of 25

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 88.8%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 85.4%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 76.2% [see note 14 below]

Performance indicator 3 of 5: percentage of Employment Insurance requests for reconsideration reviewed within 30 days of filing

Target: at least 80%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 88.7%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 83.7%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 33.8% [see note 15 below]

Performance indicator 4 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 99%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 100%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 100%

Performance indicator 5 of 5: percentage of registrations to My Service Canada Account through Trusted Digital Identities in participating provinces/territories

Target: 5%

Date to achieve target: March 2024

2020 to 2021 actual results: 5.7%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 6.3%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 5%

Notes:

1. Provincially and territorially (P/T) delivered programs set their own annual targets
2. The results are for both Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs). As there is a 1-year lag in data availability, the results shown reflect the previous years' result
3. Multiple federally delivered programs contribute to this indicator result, including the Student Work Placement Program. Since the publication of the 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 Departmental Results Reports, actual results for Student Work Placement Program have been updated. As such, actual results for this program in 2020 to 2021 was 45,593 (which includes 655 I-WIL opportunities), and in 2021 to 2022 was 83,073. Thereby, the consolidated result for this indicator has been updated accordingly
4. The result includes the actual number of participants for the following federally delivered programs: Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program (ISET) 26,371; Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (OF-PwD) 2,846; Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) 110; Student Work Placement Program (SWP) 51,711 (25,499 from SWP and 26,212 from Innovative Work-Integrated Learning [I-WIL]Initiative) [it should be noted that the SWP only tracks the number of opportunities, not the number of individual Canadian participants. It is possible that throughout the year an individual may participate in more than 1 opportunity]; Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) 50,799, (which includes Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESSP) 12,581 and Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 38,218); and Skills for Success (SFS) 1,138. The Community Workforce Development Program (CWDP) reported 0 as projects started in 2023 to 2024
5. The result includes the actual number of participants for the following federally delivered programs: Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program (ISET) 48,442; Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (OF-PwD) 4,047; Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) 75; Student Work Placement Program (SWP) 51,711 (25,499 from SWP and 26,212 from Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative) [it should be noted that the SWP only tracks the number of opportunities, not the number of individual Canadian participants. It is possible that throughout the year an individual may participate in more than 1 opportunity]; Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) 132,244, (which includes Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESSP) 17,241 and Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 115,003); Skills for Success (SFS) 33,088. The Community Workforce Development Program (CWDP) reported 0 as projects started in 2023 to 2024
6. Lower unemployment rates in 2022 had a significant impact on PSE participation when compared to earlier trends observed during the COVID-19 pandemic
7. There are many factors that can affect employment rates in any specific group, and/or affect groups differently. ESDC programming cannot be considered solely responsible for changes to the employment rate gaps
8. The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected employment among women compared with men in the labour market
9. Due to the temporary changes to the EI Program that were put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this indicator will not be able to produce results for fiscal years 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 due to data unavailability. Given that there is also a one-year lag in data availability, results for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 will be made available in the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Results Report
10. As a result of a time lag in the availability of data from Statistics Canada, 2019 data is used for 2022 to 2023 actual results as it is the most recent available
11. The results are not available for this indicator due to challenges associated with accessing Statistics Canada's Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP) and linking it to Canada Education Savings Program's administrative data
12. A year lag was incorporated into the results reporting starting in 2022 to 2023, as opposed to 2023 to 2024
13. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca
14. On average, eligible clients received their first payment within 24 days. Results are below the 80% target due in part to an unforeseen increase in claims related to the COVID-19 Omicron variant. In order to meet its service standard moving forward and reduce claim inventories to a sustainable level, Service Canada hired and trained over 600 incremental resources in 2022 to 2023.
15. This result is due in large part to the 1.8 million EI Emergency Response Benefit Advanced Payment Repayment notices of debt. These were sent to clients between November 2021 and July 2022. They generated over 77,000 requests for reconsideration since November 2021. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, Service Canada received over 115,000 requests for reconsideration, which represents more than twice the usual annual volume. This high volume of requests prevented the department from meeting the target.

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

The following table shows, for the Learning, Skills Development and Employment core responsibility, budgetary spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as actual spending for that year.

Table 3: budgetary financial resources (dollars) for the core responsibility of Learning, Skills Development and Employment

Spending category	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending	11,339,927,906	36,122,188,683	33,351,685,396	32,666,489,864	(3,455,698,819)
Spending in specified purpose accounts	0	24,782,260,777	21,917,318,584	21,917,318,584	(2,864,942,193)
Revenues netted against expenditures	987,794,544	987,794,544	1,559,173,419	1,432,608,653	444,814,109
Net spending	10,352,133,362	10,352,133,362	9,875,193,393	9,316,562,627	(1,035,570,735)

Explanation of variances: the variance in gross spending for the fiscal year 2022 to 2023 is mainly due to actual spending of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits under the Part I of the Employment Insurance Act being lower than originally planned.

At net, the variance between planned and actual spending is mainly attributable to the winding-down of the emergency and recovery benefit programs, resulting in benefits expenditures lower than originally estimated; and to adjustments related to ongoing activities such as integrity and collection activities, and allowance calculations.

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

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

Human resources (full-time equivalents) for the core responsibility of Learning, Skills Development and Employment

The following indicates, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents: 11,607

2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents: 17,216

2022 to 2023 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents): 5,609

Explanation of variances: the variance between planned and actual full-time equivalents (FTEs) mainly reflects additional staff hired to process Employment Insurance claims as well as to improve call centre accessibility.

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

Working Conditions and Workplace Relations

Description

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

Results

Workplaces are safe and healthy

The department continued to support health and safety in federally regulated workplaces by:

• Requiring federally regulated employers to take preventative steps to address workplace illness and injury
• Developing regulatory amendments to support occupational health and safety

The department also advanced regulations to require federally regulated employers to make menstrual products available to workers at no cost in the workplace. That means putting pads and tampons in washrooms (or another space controlled by the employer) so that any worker who needs them while on the job has access. Final regulations were published in May 2023 and will come into force on December 15, 2023.

The department concluded its work with provincial and territorial governments towards the ratification and implementation of International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 190, the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019. The Government of Canada formally ratified the convention with the ILO on January 30, 2023. It thereby signalled its commitment to achieve workplaces free of violence and harassment for all.

Work conditions are fair and inclusive

The department continued to support an external task force of experts to review the Employment Equity Act and provide advice to the Minister of Labour on potential amendments. The task force presented its draft report and recommendations to the Minister of Labour in April 2023.

At the same time, 11 multi-year projects were funded under the Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity program. These projects will support employers in their efforts to improve designated group representation in areas of low representation. This will be achieved through partnerships and industry-tailored strategies.

The department continued its efforts to strengthen rights for workers employed by digital platforms. In December 2022, the department completed consultations with stakeholders and the public on improving labour protections for gig workers under the Canada Labour Code (the code). A What We Heard Report was published in March 2023. This process supports a commitment stated in Budget 2023 to improve job protections for federally regulated gig workers.

The department continued to prepare a policy on limiting work-related communications outside of working hours. To this end, it consulted with experts, unions, employees, employers and other stakeholders on the issue of workplace mental health. The views and feedback from stakeholders are helping shape the way forward on this important initiative.

The department held consultations on prohibiting the use of replacement workers in federally regulated sectors. These consultations also addressed improving the process of reviewing activities to ensure health and safety during a work stoppage under Part I of the code. A total of 57 organizations participated in 5 roundtables. In addition, 71 written submissions were received, and 45 individuals shared personal stories and comments. The importance of this initiative was reiterated in a Budget 2023 commitment to table amendments to the code.

Since December 1, 2022, employees in federally regulated industries are entitled to up to10 days per year of paid medical leave. These days are accumulated gradually with each month of their employment. In addition, the department will continue to encourage the provinces and territories to legislate paid sick leave across the country.

Budget 2023 included a commitment to amend the code to create a new stand-alone leave for workers in federally regulated sectors who experience a pregnancy loss. The department held consultations with stakeholders on how a paid leave related to miscarriage or stillbirth should be effectively implemented. The department is currently in the process of developing legislation to support these changes.

Amendments to the Canada Labour Code will also address the 8 unpaid weeks of bereavement leave for federally regulated employees who have lost a child or suffered a stillbirth. This bereavement leave is included in Bill C-3, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code.

As well, the department continued to develop a policy to strengthen provisions for employees who need to be reassigned during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

With respect to forced labour, the department led interdepartmental engagement and collaboration in support of the Minister of Labour's mandate commitment to introduce legislation to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains. This work included:

• Analysing submissions from a portal consultation launched in Spring 2022 on key elements of supply chain legislative models
• Participating in Global Affairs Canada's development of a Canadian national standard on human rights due diligence
• Researching and analysing the risk of forced labour and collaborating with other departments and countries on this issue
• Continuing to engage with domestic and international stakeholders on addressing exploitation in supply chains, including in international forums

These actions directly contribute to fostering adherence to international labour standards, both in Canada and abroad.

In addition, the department continued to negotiate and implement Labour chapters in Canada's free trade agreements. The chapters provide protection for internationally recognized labour rights and principles.

The department funded a project by World Vision Canada to strengthen the capacity of Mexican labour authorities, employers, and agricultural workers to protect labour rights. This initiative also seeks to address forced and child labour in the tomato, cucumber, and eggplant sectors in the states of Sinaloa and Jalisco.

Labour relations are cooperative

Through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the department supports unions and employers under federal jurisdiction during collective bargaining. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department made 204 conciliation appointments to support the parties in their negotiations.

The FMCS also offers the parties day-to-day support during the life of the agreement to help foster collaborative labour relations. This supports workplaces to better manage and prevent workplace conflict and support healthy workplaces through training workshops, facilitated joint initiatives, and grievance mediation. The department responded to 164 requests in this regard, in 2022 to 2023.

Services to Canadians

The department's Labour Program completed research to better understand clients' needs and improve digital service delivery. The department developed an action plan based on this research, which includes elements such as a digital service transformation strategy and a web renewal roadmap.

The department also conducted user-research for processing claims used under the Federal Workers Compensation Service. This helped it to improve forms and communications for clients who suffered a work-related injury caused by a third party. These improvements will help individuals better understand their rights and options for benefits.

Gender-based analysis plus

The department's Labour Program applied Gender-Based Analysis (GBA) plus to its regulatory initiatives to ensure inclusive outcomes for diverse groups. For example, it applied GBA plus to its regulatory initiative to provide menstrual products in the workplace. This analysis identified the need to provide menstrual products in all washrooms, including men's. This ensures non-binary and transgender men also benefit from this change.

The 10 days of paid medical leave will benefit employees of diverse demographics in federally regulated sectors covered by Part III of the Canada Labour Code. While this is only a small part of Canada's workforce (about 6% of all employees), it will benefit workers with diverse demographics characteristics. These include members of visible minorities (26% of impacted workforce), persons with disabilities (3.9%), and Indigenous Peoples (2.4%). Men and women have equal access to the new leave provisions. However, 2 thirds of employees working in the federally regulated private sector are men (61%).

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The department implemented pay gap reporting for federally-regulated private sector employers under the Employment Equity Act. This data identifies the pay gaps facing women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities in different sectors and occupations. This information will help the department contribute to SDGs 5 (Gender Equality) and 8 (Decent work and economic growth) through monitoring of results and implementation of various measures.

The department also collects other data under the Employment Equity Act related to the representation of women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities in decision-making and high-paid positions. This data will help us monitor progress towards SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth).

Innovation

AI Triage Tool: The department tested a tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to sort through complaints about labour standards in order to make it easier for staff to handle these complaints. However, it found that the tool was not yet accurate enough to implement broadly. This experiment taught the department about using AI in its work, including its limitations and what is needed for success.

The department developed an experimental protocol to determine if proactive communications could improve employers' compliance with federal labour standards. The initiative used behavioural insight approaches based on studies of human behaviour to do so. The aim is to determine if sending a letter with information and tips to employers can effectively increase employer compliance. The launch of the experiment is expected in 2023, with results expected in fiscal year 2024 to 2025. Ultimately, finding ways to promote compliance ensures better workplaces for Canadians.

Results achieved

The following indicates, for the Working Conditions and Workplace Relations core responsibility, the departmental results, the performance indicators, the targets and their achievement dates for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, and the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Departmental result: workplaces are safe and healthy

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

Target: 9 or less [see note 1 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 2.0

2021 to 2022 actual results: 5.0 [see note 2 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 10.4 [see note 3 below]

Departmental result: work conditions are fair and inclusive

Performance 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 4 below]

Date to achieve target: September 2022

2020 to 2021 actual results: 74%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 74%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 78%

Performance indicator 2 of 2: 3-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 1 below]

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 2.6 (2018 to 2021)

2021 to 2022 actual results: 2.7 (2019 to 2022)

2022 to 2023 actual results: 2.2 (2020 to 2023)

Departmental result: labour relations are cooperative

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 96%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 99%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 96%

Departmental result: clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs [see note 5 below]

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 3 out of 4

2021 to 2022 actual results: 3 out of 4

2022 to 2023 actual results: 2 out of 4

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 73%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 82.9%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 72% [see note 6 below]

Performance indicator 3 of 5: percentage of unjust dismissal complaints that are finalized within 180 days

Target: at least 75%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 69%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 72% [see note 7 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 65% [see note 8 below]

Performance 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: 100%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 100%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 100%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 100%

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 89%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 97.8%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 99%

Notes:

1. This indicator will fluctuate with changes to legislation, particularly due to Compliance & Enforcement. It will most likely increase over the short term as the program improves service delivery and reaches a larger number of employers
2. Violations are typically identified during proactive inspections in workplaces, which were greatly reduced in fiscal year 2021 to 2022 because of the pandemic
3. The result is higher for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 because onsite inspection activities resumed. These increased inspections led to an increase in violations observed
4. The department contributes to this target by supporting federally regulated private-sector employers create equitable workplaces
5. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca.
6. The department adopted a new case management system and demographic shifts have decreased the average experience level of inspectors. This has affected our ability to formally close cases in the system within the target
7. About half of all Labour Affairs Officers in the field have less than 2 years experience. Unjust dismissal complaints require experienced officers to conduct alternate dispute resolution services. As officers gain experience, the result is expected to improve
8. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, Labour Affairs Officers faced an increasing workload. This was due to new Labour Standards, such as paid medical leave, new hours of work provisions, and a prohibition on the misclassification of workers. With the increased workload, it has been harder to resolve unjust dismissal complaints in a timely manner. The department also started using a new case management system for data associated with labour standards complaints, so cases where officers use Alternate Dispute Resolution to settle complaints of unjust dismissal are now counted in the total number of cases resolved. This was not the case in the past. This has naturally impacted the percentage of unjust dismissal complaints that are resolved within 180 days

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

The following table shows, for the Working Conditions and Workplace Relations core responsibility, budgetary spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as actual spending for that year.

Table 4: budgetary financial resources (dollars) for the core responsibility of Working Conditions and Workplace Relations

Spending category	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending	179,997,873	179,997,873	158,229,903	156,557,151	(23,440,722)
Spending in specified purpose accounts	0	0	0	0	0
Revenues netted against expenditures	900,000	900,000	1,800,000	1,213,858	313,858
Net spending	179,097,873	179,097,873	156,429,903	155,343,293	(23,754,580)

Explanation of variances: no significant variance.

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

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

Human resources (full-time equivalents) for the core responsibility of Working Conditions and Workplace Relations

The following indicates, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents: 804

2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents: 872

2022 to 2023 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents): 68

Explanation of variances: no significant variance.

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

Information Delivery and Services for Other Government 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.

Results

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

The department provided high quality services and information to Canadians on programs and benefits. To this end, it made several improvements across service channels, including reactivating services following pandemic restrictions.

In-person services now reflect a pre-COVID experience and are back to full capacity as per pre-COVID levels. As of February 28, 2023, masks were recommended but no longer mandatory. In addition, there was a gradual reopening of the Self-Help Zone to provide client access to the Citizen Access Workstation Services (CAWS). As of March 31, 2023, 98% of offices had opened the Self-Help Zone to the public. Passport services were expanded to Scheduled Outreach sites to provide access to more Canadians.

In total, the department responded to 9.6 million requests for various programs made through different service delivery channels. These channels included the in-person services, eServiceCanada, eSIN, service delivery partners, scheduled outreach sites and Outreach Support Centres.

Nearly 699,000 requests were made via eServiceCanada, an online service that mirrors the services available to clients who would usually come into Service Canada Centres (SCC). On eService Canada, clients can access personalized services and virtual support. They can also request to be called-back. These requests are routed to Service Canada staff who contact the client within 2 business days. Staff are available to answer questions, help with applications, and provide personalized support for different services such as EI, OAS, CPP and passport. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, 82% of clients who made such a request were contacted by Service Canada staff within 2 business days.

The Outreach Support Centre (OSC) remained the alternate service mechanism through which Indigenous and underserved populations could access SC programs and services. This service received 24,500 calls and completed 28,789 service requests.

As well, the Community Outreach and Liaison Service teams conducted 5,763 engagements with community partners that supported vulnerable populations. Some of the activities and services provided included:

• 2,356 transactional clinics for SIN, eSIN, EI, CPP, OAS, including application intake support for the Ukraine Immigration Measures
• 2,716 information sessions with clients and community partners, surpassing all targets
• 730 Indigenous communities were engaged and 526 of the communities obtained services through the OSC, in-person or virtual activities

Passport clinics were offered in rural and remote locations to increase access and support services operations. Staff conducted 37 Outreach Passport Clinics to 1,490 individuals.

The department responded to Canada's commitment to helping Ukrainian nationals, in collaboration with IRCC Service Provider Organizations and outreach staff. The services were delivered through information sessions and SIN Clinics. As of March 31, 2023, 490 outreach activities were delivered to 16,276 Ukrainians and 355 settlement organizations. These activities included 46 information sessions delivered for 1,144 Ukrainians and 35 information sessions to 355 service provider organizations. In addition, over 147,397 individuals received payments from the Ukraine Financial Assistance Program, as of March 31st, 2023.Through Scheduled Outreach, Service Canada staff travel to communities to provide services directly to clients. Over the course of fiscal year 2022 to 2023, Scheduled Outreach was reactivated in a phased approach, following pandemic restrictions. As of March 31, 2023, 208 Scheduled Outreach sites had reactivated, and 38 additional sites were scheduled to reopen by the end of June 2023.

The department continued to make progress in implementing key activities of the Official Languages Roadmap. Among other things, the department:

• Developed and implemented a new methodology to assess the compliance of bilingual Service Canada Centres (SCC) with established departmental official languages standards
• Developed a communication strategy to inform and engage key stakeholders in the upcoming Official Languages Regulations Re-Application Exercise (OLRRE). The strategy will also address the impacts of this exercise on the department
• Began the development of an implementation strategy to offer options and guidance to regions. This strategy will address items such as maximizing existing resources, hiring strategies, increasing linguistic profiles, and language training
• Redesigned its internal official language minority communities consultation process to support the consultations related to the OLRRE. The consultations will serve to identify the linguistic designation of some Service Canada Centres

The expected change of designation of approximately 69 offices from unilingual to bilingual is expected to take place in fiscal year 2023 to 2024.

The 1 800 O-Canada general enquiries phone line agents responded to over 2.25 million calls over the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year. These were calls from Canadians seeking information about programs and services. In total, 80% of the calls were answered within 18 seconds meeting the published wait time standard.

The department provided 47 Customized Information Services (CIS) on behalf of departments across the Government of Canada. Through these services, the department responded to over 1.7 million calls and 114,000 emails.

The department also started offering a new option to its partners, such as Elections Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, for the Customized Information Services delivered on their behalf. Contact centre agents can now call clients rather than wait for them to call our services. This approach was initially used for the Fish Harvester Grant and Benefit Program under the service delivery partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The service automatically reached and connected 7,969 clients with an agent.

Canada.ca remained a reliable, secure, and trusted source of information for Canadians, supporting communication of critical information to the public. The site connected Canadians to government information and services over 1.2 billion times.

The department continued to work proactively with central agencies to measure the performance of the Government of Canada's web presence. This work enabled partner departments to make continuous improvements based on visitor needs. This allowed the delivery of services that are user-centric by design and achieved better digital and service outcomes.

Approximately 28 million people visit the EI reporting page in a given fiscal year, for example. Visitors to the site reported some challenges with the usability of the button to access the Employment Insurance reporting system. In response, the department applied design techniques to make it easier for people to find the button. Testing showed that the solution decreased the average time on site from 107 seconds to 69 seconds. It also improved the click through rate to 93% and increased completion, ease, and satisfaction.

The department also made the online experience even better and the content easier for Canadians to understand. The top 150 Employment and Social Development Canada web pages (that drive 90% of visits to Canada.ca) are now meeting a grade 6-8 literacy level.

Obtain a passport within Canada in a timely manner

In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department faced challenges related to passport applications, including high volumes, pressure on mail-in services, complex files, and limited office capacity. These challenges led to a backlog that exceeded the department's capacity. By October 2022, however, the department managed to process all passport applications within pre-pandemic service standards and ultimately issued more than 3 million passports during the fiscal year.

To address these challenges and improve passport services, the department took various measures, including:

• Expanded access: adding 13 Service Canada Centres offering 10-day passport services to improve access to faster processing
• Simplified renewals: expanding eligibility for simplified passport renewals, making it easier for more Canadians to renew their passports
• Workforce expansion: increasing the passport operational workforce and the number of hours worked
• Outreach services: extended passport services to select scheduled outreach sites and clinics, particularly in rural and remote areas
• Online tracking: launched an online passport application status checker, allowing clients to track the progress of their applications
• Simplified expired passport replacement: simplified the process for replacing expired passports (up to 15 years) as renewals rather than new applications

The department also collaborated with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to modernize the Passport program, resulting in several achievements, including:

• Modernization initiative: finalized the pilot and readiness activities for the Passport Program Modernization Initiative. This initiative will enhance how the department issues passports, allowing for more efficient processing
• Digital services: developed a new Passport Digital Services application, which will launch in fiscal year 2023 to 2024. This application will introduce a secure online application and payment process, expanded mobile functionality, and digital support services
• Workforce training: modernized training to quickly increase the passport operational workforce and processing capacity
• Priority requests: implemented a new approach for clients to request prioritized passport applications for pick-up due to upcoming travel or urgent needs
• ePassport next generation: prepared to deploy the ePassport Next Generation project in 2023. This project will streamline Canadian travel document processing and introduce new passport booklets to maintain the Canadian passport's reputation for security and acceptance

Service delivery partnerships

In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department maintained 85 partnerships with 46 different organizations. This included signing 35 service delivery partnership agreements, comprising 7 new partnerships and 28 renewals. For detailed information on these partnerships, you can refer to the Service Delivery Partnership Disclosure List.

A significant partnership during this period was with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), supporting individuals fleeing Ukraine. Through this partnership, Service Canada facilitated payments, provided information, and offered support to applicants. The department distributed nearly $400 million to assist approximately 150,000 temporary residents fleeing Ukraine under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel during fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

Another notable partnership involved employees of the Government of Northwest Territories in 15 remote communities, who provided general and administrative services on its behalf. They efficiently processed more than 2,600 service requests, benefiting more than 2,400 clients.

Additionally, the department continued its collaboration with IRCC to offer in-Canada biometrics collection at select Service Canada Centres. The department completed 81,000 biometric collections to support IRCC applications from both permanent and temporary residents. To enhance accessibility, the department expanded the number of biometric collection points within its existing Service Canada Centres network, ensuring clients could secure appointments within a 2-day national average.

Services to Canadians

The department has been working to enhance services for Canadians through various initiatives:

Reaching All Canadians' Service Referral Initiative: expanded this program across the country, partnering with community organizations that offer referral services. These organizations provide basic information to marginalized and underserved individuals and connect them with Service Canada for further assistance. By March 31, 2023, more than 1,700 referrals were made by over 90 partners in all Service Canada regions.

United Way 211 Assistance Phone Line Collaboration: initiated a pilot with the United Way 211 assistance phone line in the Atlantic region in 2021. Through this program, 211 officers offer warm transfers to the Service Canada Outreach Support Centre (OSC), which provides personalized assistance to at-risk populations in accessing government services and benefits. In fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department expanded this collaboration to the Greater Montreal area and Quebec City, resulting in 584 referrals. Future plans include extending this service to the Greater Toronto area, the rest of Ontario, and the Western and Territories Region.

Client Experience Survey: conducted the fifth annual client experience survey to better understand clients' experiences, from their awareness of benefits to receiving initial decisions. The survey covers experiences of more than 20 at-risk client groups. While there were significant changes in how clients interacted with the department due to the COVID-19 pandemic, overall satisfaction levels have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Notably, 81% of clients from major programs indicated satisfaction with their service experience, based on the most recent available data (2022).

Improvements Based on Feedback: used insights from the client experience survey and feedback questionnaires from eServiceCanada and the 1 800 O-Canada service channel to enhance the client experience. For example, the survey data revealed that proactively contacting CPP-Disability clients before sending decisions on their applications improved their overall experience. As a result, the department has extended this proactive contact approach to all CPP-D applicants.

Gender-based analysis plus

The department applied GBA plus analysis to improve its outreach program. This program provides support to vulnerable populations to help them overcome gaps and barriers. It provides information and referral to benefits and services to vulnerable populations, which contributes to closing socio-economic gaps. Such information and referrals help these populations to raise their standard of living.

Efforts to enhance accessibility to passport services also ensure gender-equitable and fair access to all Canadians. These access strategies take into account how marginalized and underrepresented clients access and obtain service through Service Canada delivery channels. One of these strategies has been to expand Passport Program services to scheduled outreach locations in rural and remote locations.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The department contributed to the Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No poverty) through the Service Referral Initiative. Under this initiative, organizations can refer individuals who may qualify for government benefits and programs to Service Canada. Doing so, they connect at-risk and hard-to-reach individuals with Service Canada, so they can access government benefits. This way, those living in poverty are connected to financial aid that can help lift them out of poverty.

Innovation

The department embarked on an innovative experiment to enhance data collection on Canada.ca visitor experiences, aiming to improve services to Canadians. The objective was to boost survey participation without increasing the number of survey invitations. To achieve this, the department added an incentive for survey participation. As a result, more than 527,000 visitors participated in the survey in 2022 to 2023, a significant increase compared to fiscal year 2021 to 2022 (401,200 visitors) and fiscal year 2020 to 2021 (190,800 visitors). This valuable data and insights into the performance of the Government of Canada web presence were shared with all Government of Canada departments.

Using data from this survey, the department identified opportunities to enhance the Canada Disability Savings Program web pages. Although these pages received over 50,000 visits annually, users were not visiting for long periods. Additionally, individuals were turning to social media and non-governmental websites for information and clarification about the program. Through prototyping and testing different approaches, the department successfully optimized the web content. Prior to the optimization, the content achieved a task completion rate of only 47%, indicating that most users struggled to use and understand the webpages. After the optimization, the task completion rate increased to 90%, nearly doubling the rate of success. Since completing this project, the program's web presence has seen a 15% increase in traffic.

Results achieved

The following table shows, for the Information Delivery and Services for Other Government Departments core responsibility, the departmental results, the performance indicators, the targets and their achievement dates, as well as the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Departmental result: clients receive high quality, timely and accurate government information and services that meet their needs [see note 1 below]

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

Target: at least 85%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 89%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 85%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 86%

Performance 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 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 95%

2021 to 2022 actual results: 95%

2022 to 2023 actual results: 78% [see note 2 below]

Performance indicator 3 of 3: number of program services that meet their service standard targets

Target: 5 out of 5

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 1 out of 5

2021 to 2022 actual results: 2 out of 5 [see note 3 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 3 out of 5 [see note 4 below]

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

Performance indicator: percentage of travel documents and other passport services processed within standards

Target: at least 90%

Date to achieve target: March 2023

2020 to 2021 actual results: 80% [see note 5 below]

2021 to 2022 actual results: 77% [see note 6 below]

2022 to 2023 actual results: 70% [see note 7 below]

Notes:

1. Service standards are published on www.canada.ca
2. Multiple factors could have contributed to the target ultimately not being met. This includes an increase in overall volumes at SCCs compared to the situation before the pandemic. The period covered coincided with limited occupancy and physical distancing restrictions that remained in place in the first few months of the fiscal year. To help with the passport surge, at busier passport sites in urban areas, Service Canada promoted the passport service available at near-by SCCs. In addition, several improvements were made to passport service delivery at SCCs. This includes expanded 10-day pick up and expedited passport services, which resulted in an increase of passport volumes in SCCs.
3. This result was updated to 2 out of 5 after the 2021 to 2022 Departmental Results Report was submitted. The result appearing for fiscal year 2021 to 2022 is the most up to date.
4. This indicator combines results for 5 service standards, 3 of which relate to passport services, 1 to Canada.ca, and 1 to 1 800 O-Canada. With pandemic restrictions easing and travel resuming in the Spring, Service Canada experienced a surge in demand for passports. As a result, only one of 3 service standards related to passport were met
5. Due to the pandemic, passport services were significantly reduced during fiscal year 2020 to 2021. Reduced volumes were offset by reduced capacity, resulting in an overall reduction in service standards met
6. With restrictions easing and travel resuming in the Spring, Service Canada experienced a surge in demand for passports. This surge resulted in lineups and longer wait times for service. The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges that affected its ability to delivery passport services to Canadians on time
7. Only 20% of the normally anticipated passport volume was received during the first 2 years of the pandemic. This means that 3 million fewer Canadians renewed or applied for a passport during the pandemic. However, as travel restrictions and health and safety measures eased, applications received by mail nearly doubled. In addition, a significant segment of all applications received were for new passports, which take longer to process than renewals. This high application volume led to a build-up of inventory that exceeded the departments' capacity to process applications within service standards

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

The following table shows, for the Information Delivery and Services for Other Government Departments core responsibility, budgetary spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as actual spending for that year.

Table 5: budgetary financial resources (dollars) for the core responsibility of Information Delivery and Services to Other Government Departments

Spending category	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending	273,433,804	273,433,804	460,979,623	460,979,539	187,545,735
Spending in specified purpose accounts	0	0	0	0	0
Revenues netted against expenditures	0	0	0	0	0
Net spending	273,433,804	273,433,804	460,979,623	460,979,539	187,545,735

Explanation of variances: the variance between planned and actual spending is mainly due to the post pandemic crisis faced by the Passport Program, resulting of the health measures lifting, that led to significantly higher service delivery costs; and new agreements with other departments, such as the agreements with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for Canada-Ukraine Transitional Financial Assistance and with Infrastructure Canada for Reaching Home

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

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

Human resources (full-time equivalents) for the core responsibility of Information Delivery and Services to Other Government Departments

The following indicates, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents: 2,301

2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents: 4,382

2022 to 2023 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents): 2,081

Explanation of variances: the variance in full-time equivalents (FTEs) mainly reflects additional resources hired to support the Passport Program and new agreements with other departments.

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

Internal services

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. Internal services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the internal services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are:

• Acquisition management services
• Communication services
• Financial management services
• Human resources management services
• Information management services
• Information technology services
• Legal services
• Material management services
• Management and oversight services
• Real property management services

Results

Management and oversight services

Access to information

In 2022 to 2023, the department focused on openness and transparency by:

• Boosting access to information compliance rate from 84% to 94% in fiscal year 2022 to 2023, demonstrating its commitment to transparency
• Providing training and resources to employees to enhance their understanding of access to information requirements and raising awareness about changes to the Access to Information Act
• Replacing outdated Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) processing software with a new system, set to be fully operational in 2024
• Improving internal processes by directing informal requests to program areas, resulting in faster responses for requestors
• Transitioning to a paperless processing environment for most requests, reducing processing times and increasing efficiency

Privacy

The department continued to safeguard the privacy rights of Canadians by:

• Integrating privacy requirements into the planning and design of new activities and transformation initiatives
• Conducting privacy impact assessments to ensure legal and policy compliance and identify and mitigate risks
• Verifying that the use of personal information adhered to federal privacy laws and policies
• Preventing unauthorized access to and disclosure of personal information through monitoring, mandatory privacy training, certification for all employees, and privacy awareness initiatives

Data strategy

The department continued to enhance its data capabilities to respond more effectively to situations affecting Canadians. The Data Strategy involved:

• Advancing the establishment of data environments, tools, and supports to enable efficient data management and utilization
• Increasing access to relevant, trusted data across the organization through a departmental data inventory and an Enterprise Data Portal
• Launching the departmental Data Literacy Program, offering resources and training to promote innovative, ethical, and responsible data use
• Implementing projects using advanced methods such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning for improved issue management and operational efficiency
• Creating the Enterprise Data Stewardship Network (EDSN) to support data decisions for the benefit of all Canadians
• Establishing a Data Governance Office to guide information and data management

The department provided Canadians with access to Open Data for various departmental programs, including support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The department also collaborated with other government departments and agencies to share data on client demographics and benefit uptake, improving its understanding of clients, including marginalized and underserved populations.

The department made progress on joint data strategies with Statistics Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to align data priorities and provide better data access.

Security

The department enhanced its security program and promoted a strong security culture by developing tools and training for employees to manage sensitive information, reinforcing security best practices in the workplace, and implementing a 5-year strategy for threat and risk assessments

The department strengthened its emergency management function through reviews of emergency procedures and engagement with other government departments to improve workplace and response measures

The department explored options for acquiring an emergency management application system to facilitate quicker coordination and response to emergencies

Evaluation services

In 2022 to 2023, departmental evaluations remained crucial for assessing programs, policies, and services. These evaluations examined relevance and performance and employed innovative approaches to support Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

During this fiscal year, the department completed 9 planned evaluations, including those required under the Financial Administration Act.

Human resources management services

Workforce Efficiency and Health:

• The department regularly updated its Guide to Managing and Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic to incorporate flexibility
• Launched a temporary, centralized duty to accommodate process for the new hybrid work model, ensuring fairness and transparency
• Implemented an essential training curriculum addressing workplace harassment, violence prevention, values and ethics, departmental code of conduct, and occupational health and safety
• Conducted an Employee Wellness Survey to gather feedback on psychological health and safety, informing the development of its Workplace Mental Health and Well-being Action Plan

Recruitment and Career Development:

• Expanded recruitment activities by participating in career fairs and using LinkedIn Recruiter
• Led and operated the Government of Canada IT Apprenticeship Program for Indigenous Peoples, designed to recruit Indigenous apprentices and address skills gaps
• Updated Second Official Language Learning Guidelines to support language training for underrepresented groups, responding to calls for anti-racism and equity
• Created a National Learning Roadmap for managers and launched mentorship pilots for Indigenous and Visible Minority managers
• Developed learning paths and workshops to improve employees' data management and interpretation skills

Diversity and Inclusion:

• The department was recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers for the sixth consecutive year
• Implemented the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, with senior executives overseeing diversity and inclusiveness initiatives
• Achieved representation of equity-deserving groups among the departmental workforce, exceeding Canadian workforce availabilities

Payroll and HR Systems:

• Ensured all employees play a role in preventing, managing, and resolving pay issues through the Essential Training Curriculum
• Leveraged PeopleSoft software for managing leave requests and usage, with customized functionalities to capture work arrangements and transfer unused leave credits
• Launched 2 new modules in the internal employee-facing HR services application as part of the Human Resources Modernization Program

Financial management services

In the area of Financial Management Services, the department focused on strengthening project management and investment planning to ensure resources were allocated efficiently and delivered on results. Highlights from fiscal year 2022 to 2023:

Project Management and Investment Planning:

• The department continued to refine its approach to integrated business planning and risk management as part of service delivery modernization efforts
• Achieved a level 3 Organizational Project Management Capability Assessment (OPMCA), indicating the capacity to improve project selection, resource allocation, and project timing
• Improved project selection for internal funding, leading to potential cost savings over the next 5 years

Investment and Project Management Practices:

• Developed training programs focused on investment benefits and risk management to enhance the performance of investment projects
• Enhanced software tools to support investment management, including lessons learned, risk and issue management, benefits management, and reporting

Standards and Directives:

• Implemented and internally published standards and directives related to benefits management and investment risk management
• Strengthened decision-making and oversight of investments, contributing to greater stability in managing financial resources

These efforts demonstrate the department's commitment to optimizing its financial management practices, improving project selection, and ensuring that resources are directed towards projects that yield significant benefits and align with government policies and directives.

Information management services

In Information Management Services, the department has implemented various initiatives to improve the management, protection, and accessibility of data and information. Highlights in fiscal year 2022 to 2023:

• Launched a new Departmental Policy on Information and Data Management, the first of its kind in the Government of Canada. This policy unifies roles and responsibilities for both information and data management, enhancing strategic management in a fast-paced digital environment
• Introduced the 2023 to 2026 Information Management Strategy, with a focus on digital transformation. Key areas of focus include embedding information management (IM) into digital operations, ensuring consistency in IM delivery, designing user-centric IM processes, equipping employees with IM knowledge and support, and fostering a culture shift toward IM adoption
• Expanded the Essential Training Curriculum to include IM policies and best practices, ensuring that employees are aware of their roles and responsibilities
• Established the Pensions Trusted Digital Repository to modernize the digitization and disposal of paper documents

Cybersecurity Measures:

• Hosted training sessions to increase employee awareness of financial fraud, identity theft, and ransomware
• Conducted phishing simulations to enhance cybersecurity awareness and literacy
• Implemented multi-factor authentication for all employees and restrictions on personal device use with Microsoft365 services
• Piloted Shape Enterprise Defense (SED) to detect automated machine-generated traffic
• Deployed Microsoft's Exchange Online incident management and quarantine management module, Sentinel alerts, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
• Implemented a Web Application Firewall capability to enhance network security for web applications
• Completed 41 Security Assessment and Authorizations to ensure authorized and secure software and hardware usage

Collaboration and Threat Hunting:

• Collaborated with Government of Canada partners to implement advanced security policies, services, and tools
• Engaged in a threat-hunting exercise with the Microsoft Detect and Respond Team, marking the first proactive engagement of its kind for a Canadian federal government organization

These efforts demonstrate the department's commitment to digital transformation, cybersecurity, and the effective management of information and data to protect the interests of Canadians and ensure efficient operations.

Information technology services

In Information Technology (IT) Services, the department has been actively working on several initiatives to enhance its IT environment, promote accessibility, and ensure the efficiency and security of its systems.

Software Development Lifecycle & Product Delivery Guidebook:

The department developed a guidebook solution to evaluate a project's development lifecycle. This included assessments for Agile project teams and development teams, along with corresponding user guidance.

Email System Upgrade:

• Upgraded the email system to enable seamless integration with online calendaring, Office software applications, and document collaboration systems
• Implemented Harmon.ie to help staff manage email and ensure proper email storage

Cloud Strategy and Multi-Cloud Strategy:

• Developed both a Cloud Strategy and Multi-Cloud Strategy based on organizational consultations
• Implemented changes to mature the use of cloud services, including the development of the Digital Services Hosting Platform, expanding the use of cloud environments for storing information up to Protected B level, and onboarding multiple cloud service providers like Azure Central Cloud Hub, Amazon Web Services Sandbox, and Oracle

Security Policies for Public Cloud:

Facilitated discussions with government partners and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security to evolve security policies for the Public Cloud.

Accessibility Leadership:

• Made investments in inclusive workplace technologies
• Worked to render software accessibility-compliant, with 6 more solutions now fully accessible
• Conducted more than 830 accessibility audits to measure compliance with accessibility standards for documents and applications on all platforms
• Enhanced IT accessibility support for employees, with over 2,500 service requests related to accessibility in 2022 to 2023
• Equipped more than 200 employees with assistive and adaptive technologies
• Launched a digital accessibility community of practice
• Evaluated more than 500 IT solution requests for accessibility requirements
• Promoted accessible computer coding practices and provided accessibility coaching to hundreds of employees and teams through its IT Accessibility Office

These initiatives reflect the department's commitment to modernizing its IT environment, ensuring accessibility for all employees, and adopting secure and efficient cloud solutions to support its programs and services.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and to improving socio‑economic outcomes by increasing opportunities for First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses through the federal procurement process.

Under the Directive on the Management of Procurement, which came into effect on May 13, 2021, departments must ensure that a minimum of 5% of the total value of the contracts they award are held by Indigenous businesses. This requirement is being phased in over 3 years, and full implementation is expected by 2024.

Indigenous Services Canada has set the implementation schedule:

• Phase 1 departments: April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023
• Phase 2 departments: April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024
• Phase 3 departments: April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025

Employment and Social Development Canada is a Phase 1 department. As such, it must ensure to award to Indigenous businesses a minimum of 5% of the total value of its contracts by the end of fiscal year 2022 to 2023. In its 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan, the department forecasted that, by the end of fiscal year 2022 to 2023, it would award 4% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses.

As shown below, Employment and Social Development Canada awarded 5.21% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

2022 to 2023 results to contracting performance indicators

Total value of contracts [see note 1 below] awarded to Indigenous businesses [see note 2 below] (A): $37,777,664.88

Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous and non‑Indigenous businesses [see note 3 below] (B): $814,154,792.45

Value of exceptions approved by deputy head (C): $203,984,459.91

Proportion of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses [B / (A−C)×100]: 6.19% 

Notes:

• Includes contract amendments with Indigenous businesses and contracts that were entered into with Indigenous businesses by means of acquisition cards. May include subcontracts
• For the purposes of the 5% target, Indigenous businesses include Elders, band and tribal councils; businesses registered in the Indigenous Business Directory for contracts under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business; and businesses registered in a beneficiary business list for contracts with a final delivery in a modern treaty or self-government agreement area with economic measures as defined by Indigenous Services Canada
• Includes contract amendments

The department has developed and communicated a strategy for the 5% target for procurement with Indigenous businesses. This strategy includes department-wide communications that outline responsibilities and emphasizes the need to comply. This is done through internal correspondence, examining budgets to identify areas where Indigenous procurements can be used, and creating a plan to meet or exceed the target.

All procurement officers must successfully complete the Indigenous Considerations in Procurement training. These courses are included in their learning plans and are tracked to ensure completion.

The department's Procurement Review Committee continues to monitor and assess the progress on meeting Indigenous contract requirements. This committee makes suggestions and adjustments as necessary to improve results.

The following table shows, for Internal Services, budgetary spending for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, as well as spending for that year.

Table 6: budgetary financial resources (dollars) for Internal Services

Spending category	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2022 to 2023 difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending	977,939,242	977,939,242	1,369,017,944	1,362,786,014	384,846,772
Spending in specified purpose accounts	0	0	0	0	0
Revenues netted against expenditures	650,053,931	650,053,931	863,185,635	859,217,514	209,163,583
Net spending	327,885,311	327,885,311	505,832,309	503,568,500	175,683,189

Explanation of variances: the variance between planned and actual spending is mainly attributable to Innovation, Information and Technology, Human Resource Management Services, Real property and other internal services to support the new initiatives within ESDC, advance departmental priorities and support programs operations.

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

Human resources (full-time equivalents) for Internal Services

The following indicates, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents: 4,945

2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents: 6,575

2022 to 2023 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents): 1,630

Explanation of variances: this increase in full-time equivalents (FTEs) mainly reflects additional resources hired in Human Resource Management Services and Innovation, Information and Technology to support the new initiatives within ESDC, advance departmental priorities and support programs operations.

Overall risk and mitigation

Risk management is the practice of considering threats and opportunities when making decisions about how to deliver benefits and services to Canadians. The section describes key achievements in addressing the risk priorities set out in the 2022 to 2023 Departmental Plan.

Information technology systems

The department continued its multi-year journey to update both its information technology (IT) hardware and the applications the department use to deliver programs and services. Critical software updates are now delivered faster without impacting system availability for clients or employees. Network hardware upgrades are underway. The department needed these upgrades in order to handle changes coming as it modernizes applications that deliver Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.

Cyber-security

The department improved its threat monitoring capacity to help keep its systems and Canadians' information safe. New tools were put in place to handle phishing attempts to get sensitive information from employees. Multi-factor authentication is now used for multiple applications.

Future of work

Given the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and return to the office, the department evaluated the requirements for its workforce to return in 2022. The department assessed job functions to help define the new flexible work environment and put work arrangements in place for all employees. To facilitate the gradual return to the office, the department continues to follow Health Canada guidance and promotes a culture of wellness. It continues to meet parameters set out by the Treasury Board Secretariat's Common Hybrid Model.

Managing change

Departmental managers were given refresher training on change management and its importance when implementing new programs or enhancements.

Given the complexity of its programs and transformation projects, the department established the Enterprise Change Management Office. The office will better support employees and ensure successful project outcomes.

Employee wellness

To protect employees' health, the department regularly updated its Guide to Managing and Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic. The guide reflects the latest public health guidance to safeguard employees' well-being.

The department also updated its Essential Training Curriculum, which now includes modules on workplace harassment and violence prevention, values and ethics, departmental code of conduct, and occupational health and safety.

A new Ombuds office was established as an independent body reporting directly to the Deputy Minister. The office provides employees advice and assistance on workplace-related issues. Information gathered from an employee survey on mental health and wellness was used to guide its 2022 to 2023 Workplace Mental Health and Well-being Action Plan.

Managing data and information

The department continues to protect and manage personal information while delivering benefits and services. In November 2022, ESDC launched the first integrated departmental policy in the Government of Canada on information and data management. The policy aims to ensure client service experience, operations and activities are improved through strategic and integrated management of departmental information and data assets. The policy provides a horizontal perspective to initiatives and opportunities to better manage and use information and data in service to Canadians.

The department implemented its Information Strategy 2018 to 2023, encompassing a series of projects and activities to improve information management practices at all levels of the organization. Work is underway to develop the strategy for 2023 to 2026.

Planning and priority setting

The department updated its portfolio management governance structure in 2022. The structure is comprised of several executive committees. These committees play a key role in supporting ESDC's legislative mandate, as well as its policy, program, and service delivery priorities. These committees provide a venue to ensure the use of horizontal approaches and coordination of activities across the department.

Spending and human resources

This section presents an overview of the department's financial and human resource expenditures for the fiscal year 2022 to 2023 compared with previous years.

Spending

Actual spending

For fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department's expenditures on programs and services total $173.5 billion. Of that amount, $153.2 billion will directly benefit Canadians through statutory transfer payment programs. These include Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, the Canada Student Grants and Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans, the Canada Education Savings Program, the Canada Disability Savings Program and other smaller transfer payments. Voted grants and contributions expenditures total $10.1 billion and gross operating expenditures total $5.3 billion.

Text description of Figure 2

This pie chart illustrates the respective importance of various spending categories. The amount spent in each category and the percentage of the total spendings it represents are as follows:

• Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance: $69,413.1 million or 40.1%
• Canada Pension Plan: %55,954.8 million or 32.2%
• Employment Insurance: $21,905.0 million or 12.6%
• Canada Student Loans, Other statutory payments: $5,969.4 million or 3.4%
• Gross operating expenditures: $5,320.8 million or 3.1%
• Voted grants and contributions: $10,079.9 million or 5.8%
• Other: $4,899.9 million or 2.8%

Text description of Figure 3

This image indicates the amounts spent under various budgetary items, grouped under 2 main categories: gross expenditures and statutory transfer payments.

Gross expenditures

Net operating costs: $2,702.2 million

Note: this amount includes:

• $1,362.4 million in net voted operating expenditures
• $418.5 million in contributions to employee benefit plans
• $220.6 million in debt write-offs
• $402.9 million for delivery service to the public on behalf of partners under the Department of Employment and Social Development Act
• $89.5 million in statutory administrative fees related to Canada Student Loans and Apprentice Loans
• $181.7 million in recovery benefits
• $24.5 million in net expenditures for Federal Workers' Compensation Act
• $2.1 million for other items

To these net operating costs, must be added recoveries in the amount of $2,618.6 million, which includes:

• Canada Pension Plan: $482.7 million
• Employment Insurance Operating Account: $2,134.7 million
• Government Employee Compensation Act: $1.2 million

Total of gross operating costs: $5,320.8 million

Voted grants and contributions: $10,079.9 million

Total gross expenditures: $15,400.7 million

Other – EI and CPP charges and recoveries: $4,899.9 million

Statutory transfer payments

Grants and contributions: $75,370.1 million, divided as follows:

• Old Age Security: $52,737.3 million
• Guaranteed Income Supplement: $16,100.6 million
• Allowance: $575.2 million
• Other statutory payments: $5,957.0 million, including:
• Canada Student Grants and Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans: $4,565.3 million
• Canada Education Savings Grant: $1,031.8 million
• Canada Disability Savings Program: $644.6 million
• Canada Learning Bond: $156.6 million
• Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit: $116.3 million
• Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit: $103.0 million
• Wage Earner Protection Program: $19.2 million
• Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit: $3.0 million
• Additional support for Canadian seniors: $0.6 million
• Universal Child Care: ($1.5 million)
• Canada Recovery Benefit: ($198.6 million)
• Benefit enhancement measures for the Employment Insurance Operating Account: ($483.3 million)

Canada Pension Plan benefits: $55,954.8 million

Employment Insurance Benefits (Parts I and II): $21,905.0 million, including:

• Part I: $19,415.2 million
• Part II: $2,489.8 million

Other specified purpose accounts: $12.4 million [This amount includes payments related to the Government Annuities Account and the Civil Service Insurance Fund.]

Total statutory transfer payments: $153,242.3 million

Table 7: Actual spending summary (dollars)

Core responsibilities and Internal services	Actual gross spending for 2022 to 2023	Less: actual gross spending in specified purpose accounts for 2022 to 2023	Less: actual revenues netted against expenditures for 2022 to 2023	Actual net spending for 2022 to 2023
Core Responsibility 1: Social Development	6,463,358,293	0	0	6,463,358,293
Core Responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits	127,532,814,815	55,954,822,261	325,567,475	71,252,425,079
Core Responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment	32,666,489,864	21,917,318,584	1,432,608,653	9,316,562,627
Core Responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations	156,557,151	0	1,213,858	155,343,293
Core Responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments	460,979,539	0	0	460,979,539
Sub-total	167,280,199,662	77,872,140,845	1,759,389,986	87,648,668,831
Internal Services	1,362,786,014	0	859,217,514	503,568,500
Other Costs*	4,899,914,283	4,899,914,283	0	0
Total	173,542,899,959	82,772,055,128	2,618,607,500	88,152,237,331

Note: 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 charged to the Employment Insurance Operating Account and the Canada Pension Plan. They also include Employment Insurance doubtful accounts 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 4 main sources of funds:

1. Appropriated funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF)
2. The Employment Insurance Operating Account
3. The Canada Pension Plan
4. Other government departments and Crown corporations

Some expenditures are excluded from the department's Main and Supplementary Estimates and from net actual and planned spending because they are not voted by Parliament. These are:

• Actual expenditures related to the Employment Insurance Operating Account and the Canada Pension Plan
• Planned expenditures that are recovered from other government departments and Crown corporations for the delivery of programs and services on their behalf

Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan benefits and related administrative costs are charged against revenues set aside in separate specified purpose accounts as revenues netted against expenditures under the department.

Departmental costs related to the delivery of programs and services on behalf of other government departments are also reported as revenues netted against the department's expenditures. These costs are mainly for passport services and the administration of the Government Employee Compensation Act.

These items are included in the department's gross actual and planned spending. This provides readers with the full cost to government of the department's programs and services. It also presents a complete picture of the resources the department manages to deliver its mandate. However, these expenditures are ultimately recorded under separate legal entities.

The government amended the Department of Employment and Social Development Actin June 2018. The goal was to broaden the department's mandate to include the ability to deliver services to the public on behalf of partners, such as other government organizations. As a result, departmental costs related to the delivery of programs and services on behalf of other government departments are reported under a statutory authority. An example of this would be passport services, reported as revenues netted against the department's expenditures.

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
• Canada Pension Plan (in gross actual spending only for Canada Pension Plan benefits and related administrative costs)

Core responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment

• Consolidated Revenue Fund
• Employment Insurance Operating Account (in gross actual spending only for Employment Insurance benefits and related administrative costs)

Core responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations

• Consolidated Revenue Fund
• Crown corporations and other departments (in gross actual spending only for the administration of the Government Employee Compensation Act)

Core responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments

• Consolidated Revenue Fund

Internal Services

• Consolidated Revenue Fund
• Canada Pension Plan (in gross actual spending only for Canada Pension Plan administrative costs)
• Employment Insurance Operating Account (in gross actual spending only for Employment Insurance administrative costs)

Financial highlights

The department is responsible for the direct delivery of programs such as the Old Age Security (OAS), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI) and other statutory transfer payments. These programs can be affected by variances in the average number of beneficiaries and variances in the average benefit rates. This is the case for the Old Age Security pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement (OAS/GIS) and for the CPP. For EI, spending can be influenced by many factors such as the number of eligible individuals establishing claims for EI benefits. This number varies with the economy, the benefit rates and the implementation of any new initiatives.

Although voted grants and contributions expenditures, CPP and OAS spending increased in the fiscal year 2022 to 2023 compared to the previous year, this is offset by a significant decrease attributable to the EI benefits and the conclusion of COVID-19 temporary support measures such as Canada Recovery Benefits. As a result, the overall actual gross expenditures of $173.5 billion in fiscal year 2022 to 2023 is $19.5 billion lower than the year before.

The most significant decreases are for statutory payments related to EI benefits and COVID-19 measures; the EI benefits spending decreased by $17.1 billion and the Canada Recovery Benefits spending decreased by $17.2 billion ($13.3 billion for the Canada Recovery Benefit, $2.2 billion for the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, $0.8 billion for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and $0.9 billion for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit).

Offsetting these reductions, the OAS/GIS and CPP statutory payments followed their usual trend. The OAS/GIS spending increased by $8.6 billion and the CPP benefits increased by $2.9 billion in the fiscal year 2022 to 2023 compared to the previous year, resulting from the aging population and the changes in average monthly benefits.

In addition, the Vote 5 Grants and contributions spending increased by $5.3 billion in the fiscal year 2022 to 2023 compared to the year before. The increase in spending is mainly related to investments announced in the Fall Economic Statement 2020 and Budget 2021 for programs such as the Early Learning and Child Care Program, the One-Time Payment for Guaranteed Income Supplement Recipients who received Pandemic Benefits, the Community Services Recovery Fund, the Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund and Apprenticeship Service.

Other measures totalling $4.4 billion were funded for one year only through the Budget Implementation Act (BIA) 2021 which resulted in:

• A decrease of $2.7 billion which is attributable to a reduction of statutory payments to provinces and territories to build a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, as Budget 2021 granted one year of statutory funding. These expenditures are offset by an increase to voted authorities to support the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system
• A decrease of $1.7 billion for a one-time taxable payment of $500 provided to seniors who were 75 years old or older to help them meet their immediate needs until a permanent 10 percent increase to the monthly Old Age Security pension was implemented in July 2022

Spending from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2025 to 2026

The figure below illustrates the department's spending trend from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2025 to 2026. In the fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the department spent a net amount of $88.2 billion in achieving its expected results. Planned spending presented from fiscal year 2023 to 2024 to fiscal year 2024 to 2025 corresponds to planned spending presented in the fiscal year 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan.

Text description of figure 4

This bar graph illustrates actual and planned spending over the years, from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2025 to 2026. These spending are indicated in table 8.

Table 8: Departmental spending trend; total net consolidated expenditures (dollars)

Category	2020 to 2021 actual spending	2021 to 2022 actual spending	2022 to 2023 actual spending	2023 to 2024 planned spending	2024 to 2025 planned spending	2025 to 2026 planned spending
Statutory	158,494,988,839	89,589,886,338	76,489,375,962	82,986,698,892	87,354,200,575	92,257,623,121
Voted [see note below]	4,142,317,777	6,194,977,976	11,662,861,369	11,165,612,046	10,738,784,387	10,996,038,700
Total	162,637,306,616	95,784,864,314	88,152,237,331	94,152,310,938	98,092,984,962	103,253,661,821

Note: voted expenditures include debt write-offs in fiscal years 2020 to 2021, 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023.

Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The “Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services” table presents the budgetary financial resources allocated for ESDC's core responsibilities and for internal services.

Table 9: Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars) (Gross)

Core responsibilities and Internal services	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2023 to 2024 planned spending*	2024 to 2025 planned spending*	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2021 to 2022 actual spending (authorities used)	2020 to 2021 Actual Spending (authorities used)
Core Responsibility 1: Social Development	6,135,980,842	6,135,980,842	6,905,105,617	7,778,688,635	6,501,146,273	6,463,358,293	4,463,385,712	2,572,173,843
Core responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits	70,472,443,965	127,717,000,958	140,587,342,781	149,258,869,253	127,678,546,058	127,532,814,815	116,883,878,441	113,654,967,403
Core Responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment	11,339,927,906	36,122,188,683	33,117,307,286	31,596,974,367	33,351,685,396	32,666,489,864	67,279,306,958	132,401,445,738
Core Responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations	179,997,873	179,997,873	182,949,731	182,649,463	158,229,903	156,557,151	158,283,303	175,405,872
Core Responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments	273,433,804	273,433,804	416,220,770	410,123,252	460,979,623	460,979,539	283,787,168	238,479,502
Sub-total	88,401,784,390	170,428,602,160	181,208,926,185	189,227,304,970	168,150,587,253	167,280,199,662	189,068,641,582	249,042,472,358
Internal Services	977,939,242	977,939,242	1,081,901,580	1,011,569,673	1,369,017,944	1,362,786,014	1,310,935,981	1,098,016,943
Other Costs **	0	2,531,737,371	3,562,353,472	4,120,936,758	4,899,328,141	4,899,914,283	2,628,540,530	2,164,304,558
Vote netted revenues	(1,975,349,067)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sub-total	(1,975,349,067)	2,531,737,371	3,562,353,472	4,120,936,758	4,899,328,141	4,899,914,283	2,628,540,530	2,164,304,558
Total	87,404,374,565	173,938,278,773	185,853,181,237	194,359,811,401	174,418,933,338	173,542,899,959	193,008,118,093	252,304,793,859

Notes: refer to the department's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including explanation of gross actual and planned spending.

* Planned spending for fiscal years 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 is presented as per ESDC'S 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan.

** Other costs include administrative costs of other government departments charged to the Employment Insurance Operating Account and the Canada Pension Plan. It also includes Employment Insurance doubtful accounts.

The overall decrease of $78.8 billion from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 in actual gross spending is mainly the result of a decrease in statutory payments related to the COVID-19 measures and to EI benefits, attributable to the high unemployment rate in fiscal year 2020 to 2021. It is offset by increases to the CPP and the OAS/GIS benefits caused by the aging population and changes in the average monthly benefits.

Under Core responsibility 1, Social Development, the increase of $3.9 billion in actual spending from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 is mainly due to an increase to Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Vote 5 Grants and contributions authorities ($4.2 billion), to build a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous governments.

Under Core responsibility 2, Pension and Benefits, the overall increase of $13.9 billion from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 in gross actual spending is mainly explained by increases to the Old Age Security pension ($8.4 billion), the Guaranteed Income Supplement ($2.4 billion) and the Canada Pension Plan ($4.6 billion), resulting from the aging population and the changes in average monthly benefits. This is offset by a decrease oftheadditional support for Canadian Seniors ($2.5 billion) related to the Covid-19 measures in fiscal year 2020 to 2021.

Under Core responsibility 3, Learning, Skills Development and Employment, the decrease of $99.7 billion from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 in gross actual spending is mainly due to a decrease in statutory payments related to the COVID-19 measures, in particular the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) ($40.6 billion), the Benefit enhancement measures for the Employment Insurance Operating Account ($27.8 billion), the Canada Recovery Benefits (including Sickness and Caregiving) ($16.8 billion), the Canada Emergency Student Benefits (CESB) ($2.9 billion) and COVID-19 Economic Response Plan ($1.9 billion). Another main factor is the decrease in EI benefits spending ($11.8 billion), largely explained by the end of temporary measures implemented to facilitate access to EI benefits during the pandemic and a decrease in the unemployment rate, which can be explained by the economic recovery from the pandemic.

Under Core responsibility 4, Working Conditions and Workplace Relations, the decrease of $18.8 million from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 in gross actual spending is mainly attributable to a decrease in Wage Earner Protection Program ($41.4 million), explained by reduced corporate bankruptcies resulting from government financial supports in place for businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is offset by increases in Vote 1 Operating expenditures ($17.0 million) and Vote 5 Grants and contributions ($6.0 million).

Under Core responsibility 5, Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments, the increase of $222.5 million from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 in actual spending is mainly due to post pandemic crisis faced by Passport Program ($215.8 million), resulting of the health measures lifting, that led to significantly higher service delivery costs; and new agreements with other departments ($10.2 million), such as the agreements with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for Canada-Ukraine Transitional Financial Assistance and with Infrastructure Canada for Reaching Home. 

Under Internal services, the increase of $264.8 million from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 in actual spending is mainly be explained by increases to spending in Innovation, Information and Technology, Real Property, Human Resources and other internal services to support the new initiatives within ESDC, advance departmental priorities and support program operations.

Under Other Costs, there is an increase of $2.7 billion in actual spending from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023. The variance is impacted by increased charges from other government entities to the CPP Account, notably the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

Table 10: Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars) (Net)

Core responsibilities and Internal services	2022 to 2023 Main Estimates	2022 to 2023 planned spending	2023 to 2024 planned spending*	2024 to 2025 planned spending*	2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use	2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)	2021 to 2022 actual spending (authorities used)	2020 to 2021 actual spending (authorities used)
Core Responsibility 1: Social Development	6,135,980,842	6,135,980,842	6,905,105,617	7,778,688,635	6,501,146,273	6,463,358,293	4,463,385,712	2,572,173,843
Core responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits	70,135,843,373	70,135,843,373	77,990,394,891	82,938,539,753	71,365,396,148	71,252,425,079	63,494,075,466	62,012,618,473
Core Responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment	10,352,133,362	10,352,133,362	8,273,330,075	6,456,323,738	9,875,193,393	9,316,562,627	26,940,441,609	97,302,612,153
Core Responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations	179,097,873	179,097,873	182,049,731	181,749,463	156,429,903	155,343,293	157,383,303	174,698,277
Core Responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments	273,433,804	273,433,804	416,220,770	410,123,252	460,979,623	460,979,539	283,787,168	238,479,502
Sub-total	87,076,489,254	87,076,489,254	93,767,101,084	97,765,424,841	88,359,145,340	87,648,668,831	95,339,073,258	162,300,582,248
Internal Services	327,885,311	327,885,311	385,209,854	327,560,121	505,832,309	503,568,500	445,791,056	336,724,368
Total	87,404,374,565	87,404,374,565	94,152,310,938	98,092,984,962	88,864,977,649	88,152,237,331	95,784,864,314	162,637,306,616

Notes: refer to the department's Financial Framework for a complete description of the departmental financial profile, including explanation of gross actual and planned spending.

* Planned spending for fiscal years 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 is presented as per ESDC'S 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan.

Human resources

Actual human resources

Table 11: Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services (in full-time equivalents)

Core responsibilities and Internal services	2020 to 2021 actual FTEs	2021 to 2022 actual FTEs	2022 to 2023 planned FTEs	2022 to 2023 actual FTEs	2023 to 2024 planned FTEs*	2024 to 2025 planned FTEs*
Core Responsibility 1: Social Development	538	622	593	638	511	488
Core Responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits	6,159	6,829	6,511	7,276	7,075	6,679
Core Responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment	13,895	15,930	11,607	17,216	16,182	14,379
Core Responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations	763	853	804	872	821	817
Core Responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments	1,708	2,236	2,301	4,382	3,730	3,719
Sub-total	23,063	26,470	21,816	30,384	28,319	26,082
Internal Services	5,233	5,943	4,945	6,575	5,333	5,103
Total	28,296	32,413	26,761	36,959	33,652	31,185

* Planned full-time equivalents for fiscal years 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 are presented as per the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan.

The overall increase of 8,663 in actual full-time equivalents (FTEs) from fiscal year 2020 to 2021 to fiscal year 2022 to 2023 is mainly explained by the following items:

• Under Pensions and Benefits, an increase of 1,117 FTEs, mainly due to additional resources hired to deliver OAS and CPP benefits; and advance the Benefits Delivery Modernization program
• Under Learning, Skills Development and Employment, an increase of 3,321 FTEs, mainly due to additional resources hired to process EI claims and to improve call centre accessibility
• Under Delivery of Services for Other Government of Canada Programs, an increase of 2,674 FTEs, mainly due to post pandemic crisis faced by Passport Program ($215.8 million), resulting of the health measures lifting, that led to significantly higher service delivery costs; and new agreements with other departments ($10.2 million), such as the agreements with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for Canada-Ukraine Transitional Financial Assistance and with Infrastructure Canada for Reaching Home
• Under Internal Services, an increase of 1,342 FTEs, mainly due to Innovation, Information and Technology, Real Property, Human Resources and other internal services to support the new initiatives within ESDC, advance departmental priorities and support program operations

Expenditures by vote

For information on Employment and Social Development Canada's organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of Employment and Social Development Canada's spending with the Government of Canada's spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

The financial highlights are intended to serve as a general overview of ESDC's financial position and operations.

The following condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Government's accounting policies, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards and are therefore different from reporting on the use of authorities, reflected in the rest of this report. Reconciliation between authorities used and the net cost of operations is set out in Note 3 of the Department's consolidated financial statements.

These consolidated financial statements include the transactions of the Employment Insurance Operating Account, a sub-entity under the control of ESDC. The accounts of this sub-entity have been consolidated with those of ESDC and all inter-organizational balances and transactions have been eliminated. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is excluded from ESDC's reporting entity because it is managed by both the Government of Canada and the provinces. Changes to the Canada Pension Plan require the agreement of at least 2-thirds of the provinces, representing at least 2-thirds of the population of all the provinces.

Financial statements

ESDC's consolidated financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023, are available on the departmental website.

Financial statements highlights

Table 12: Condensed consolidated statement of operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 (dollars)

Financial information	2022 to 2023 planned results	2022 to 2023 actual results	2021 to 2022 actual results	Difference (2022 to 2023 actual results minus 2022 to 2023 planned results)	Difference (2022 to 2023 actual results minus 2021 to 2022 actual results)
Total expenses [see note]	115,280,331,625	110,672,569,146	136,496,803,146	(4,607,762,479)	(25,824,234,000)
Total revenues	25,482,053,520	27,963,471,038	24,830,795,908	2,481,417,518	3,132,675,130
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	89,798,278,105	82,709,098,108	111,666,007,238	(7,089,179,997)	(28,956,909,130)

Note: Transferred operations are included in the 2021 to 2022 total expenses as it relates to the transferred responsibilities of the Homelessness Policy Directorate to Infrastructure Canada, which became effective on October 26, 2021.

The 2022 to 2023 planned results information is provided in ESDC's Consolidated Future-Oriented Statement of Operations.

Table 13: Condensed consolidated statement of financial position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2023 (dollars)

Financial information	2022 to 2023	2021 to 2022	Difference (2022 to 2023 minus 2021 to 2022)
Total net financial assets	32,909,154,161	31,078,526,217	1,830,627,944
Total net liabilities	4,555,451,208	4,757,876,545	(202,425,337)
Department net financial asset	28,353,702,953	26,320,649,672	2,033,053,281
Total non-financial assets	585,140,301	494,231,666	90,908,635
Department net financial position	28,938,843,254	26,814,881,338	2,123,961,916

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate ministers:

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault

The Honourable Jenna Sudds

The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr.

The Honourable Kamal Khera

The Honourable Terry Beech

The Honourable Marci Ien

Institutional head:

Paul Thompson, Deputy Minister, Employment and Social Development

Ministerial portfolio:

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Minister of Labour and Seniors

Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

Minister of Citizens' Services

Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Enabling instruments:

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 Employment and Social Development Canada's website.

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

Reporting framework

Employment and Social Development Canada's departmental results framework and program inventory of record for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 are shown below.

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 5: percentage of seniors living in poverty.

Indicator 2 of 5: percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security pension at age 65 and over in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors aged 65 and over (OAS pension take-up rate).

Indicator 3 of 5: percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security pension at age 70 and over in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors aged 70 and over (OAS pension take-up rate 70+).

Indicator 4 of 5: percentage of seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors.

Indicator 5 of 5: percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors aged 70+ receiving retirement benefits.

Departmental result 2 of 3: persons 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 approved 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 been issued 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: number of targets that are being met for the published service standards of Pension and Benefits programs.

Indicator 2 of 4: percentage of Canada Pension Plan retirement benefits paid within the first month of entitlement.

Indicator 3 of 4: percentage of decisions on applications for a Canada Pension Plan disability benefit issued within 120 calendar days.

Indicator 4 of 4: percentage of Old Age Security basic benefits paid within the first month of entitlement.

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

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: number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports through federally administered programs.

Indicator 5 of 6: percentage change in Canadians aged 25 to 64 enrolled in university or college.

Indicator 6 of 6: percentage of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 24 that are 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 Indigenous people (First Nations status and non-status, Inuit and Métis) and non-Indigenous people.

Indicator 2 of 4: difference in the employment rate between persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities.

Indicator 3 of 4: difference in the employment rate between women and men.

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: beneficiary to unemployed contributor ratio (B/UC ratio).

Departmental result 4 of 6: students, including those from low- and middle-income families, are provided with 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.

Indicator 2 of 2: percentage of children under 18 who were eligible for the Canada Learning Bond and/or the additional amount of the Canada Education Savings Grant and were provided with any of those benefits in the current year.

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:

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

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: 3-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

Supporting information on the program inventory

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

Supplementary information tables

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

• Reporting on Green Procurement
• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus
• Horizontal initiatives
• Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits
• Up front multi year funding
• United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Organizational contact information

Portage IV

140 Promenade du Portage

Gatineau QC K1A 0J9

Telephone: 1-800-622-6232

Toll-free: 1-800-622-6232

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

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

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 an appropriated department over a 3‑year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. 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 quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department's core responsibilities to its 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.

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. For a particular position, the full‑time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person's collective agreement.

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

An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives; and understand how factors such as sex, race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions, geography, culture and disability, impact experiences and outcomes, and can affect access to and experience of government programs.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2022–23 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government's agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where 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 to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in 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 the department's programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department's core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A 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.

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.