Chapter 3: Impact and effectiveness of Employment Benefits and Support Measures

Economic conditions

In 2019, Canada's economy expanded by 1.9%, compared to 2.4% in 2018, due in part to lower growth in domestic demand. Canadian household final consumption expenditures grew by 1.6% in 2019, a more moderate pace compared to that of 2018 (+2.5%). Nevertheless, the increase in exports (+1.3%) exceeded that of imports (+0.4%), resulting in a positive net effect on real Gross domestic product (GDP).

Economic growth was unequal across Canada's provinces and territories and marked by slower growth in many regions. In 2019, the economy in most provinces and territories grew, except for the Northwest Territories (-8.0%) and Saskatchewan (-0.7 %).^{Footnote 1} Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador recorded the highest annual growth rates at 6.5%, 5.1% and 4.0%, respectively. The economies of Quebec and British Columbia grew at a lower rate, 2.7%, while those of Nova Scotia and Ontario grew by 2.4% and 2.1%, respectively. In the other provinces and territories, real economic growth was 1.2% in New Brunswick, 0.8% in Yukon and 0.6% in Manitoba. Alberta's economy grew slightly by 0.1% in 2019.

Canada's economic growth in 2019 was driven mainly by services-producing industries.^{Footnote 2} The services-producing industries recorded growth of 2.4%, the same rate as in 2018, with the strongest growth in:

• professional, scientific and technical services
• health care and social help, and
• real estate and rental and leasing

The goods-producing industries experienced weak growth of 0.2%, compared to 3.1% in 2018, with a slowdown observed in all the industries, except the agriculture sector.

In 2020, real GDP is expected to contract by around 5.4%. This will likely be attributable to the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the Canadian economy.

Labour market context

In FY1920, employment in Canada increased by 1.6% over FY1819, with 303,100 jobs created on a net basis. This was the tenth consecutive annual increase and the largest increase since the 2008 to 2009 recession. The employment gains were concentrated in full-time employment opportunities and services-producing industries.

Most of the employment growth in FY1920 is attributable to full-time employment, with a 1.7% increase compared to FY1819. Part-time employment increased by 1.2% in FY1920. Employment growth was slightly higher among men (+1.7%) than for women (+1.5%). All age groups experienced an increase in employment, with the strongest growth rate for those 55 years of age and older (+3.8%). Employment for those aged 15 to 24 increased by 0.4% and, for those aged 25 to 54, by 1.2%. This reflects not only the aging of the workforce, but also the greater participation of older workers in the labour market.

Employment grew in both goods-producing (+0.4%) and services-producing industries (+2.0%) in FY1920. The goods-producing industries benefited from strong employment growth in construction (+32,800 or +2.3%). The increase in service-producing industries comes mainly from professional, scientific and technical services (+72,200 or +4.9%), as well as health care and social assistance (+85,500 or +3.5%).

The unemployment rate in Canada was 5.9% in FY1920, the same level as in FY1819. Provinces with a higher unemployment rate were Newfoundland and Labrador (12.3%), Prince Edward Island (8.4%), New Brunswick (8.0%), Nova Scotia (7.7%) and Alberta (7.3%). In the other provinces, the unemployment rates were lower than or equal to the national average in FY1920. The participation rate in Canada remained stable at 65.4%. The employment rate increased by 0.1 percentage point to 61.6%.

According to Statistics Canada's job vacancy survey^{Footnote 3}, there were approximately 541,500 vacancies in Canada in FY1920. This is a small increase of 3,700 (or +0.7%) compared to FY1819. The number of vacancies rose sharply in Quebec (+16,600 or +14.2%), while it dropped in Ontario (-6,500 or -3.1%), British Columbia (-6,300 or -5.9%) and Alberta (-4,200 or -7.5%).

An analysis by industry reveals that nearly 8 out of 10 job vacancies in Canada are in the services-producing industries.^{Footnote 4} The following industries registered the largest number of vacancies:

• accommodation and food services (69,000)
• health care and social assistance (67,300), and
• retail trade (63,600)

In the goods-producing industries, the highest numbers of vacancies were in manufacturing (46,300) and construction (37,800).

The vacancy rate, defined as the number of vacancies as a percentage of labour demand (the sum of employment and vacancies) was 3.2 in FY1920, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point compared to FY1819.^{Footnote 5} Yukon ranked first in Canada with a job vacancy rate of 5.4. British Columbia had the second highest vacancy rate (4.2) among the provinces and territories. In contrast, Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest job vacancy rate at 2.3.

Table 1 — Selected Labour market indicators, Canada, FY1819 and FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

• Source: Table 14-10-0017-01 Labour force characteristics by sex and detailed age group monthly unadjusted for seasonality.

• Source: Table 14-10-0017-01 Labour force characteristics by sex and detailed age group monthly unadjusted for seasonality.

Decline in the number of EBSM clients and interventions^{Footnote 6}

In FY1920, provinces and territories served 630,425 clients under the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs), a decline of 6.0% compared to the previous year. The number of LMDA interventions delivered to clients decreased by 5.4% year-over-year, to a total of 968,632 interventions.

Age distribution^{Footnote 9}

In FY1920, most EBSM clients were in their core working years (25 to 54 years old), totalling 405,644 individuals, or 65.1% of all clients. Youth – 15 to 24 years old – represented 20.9% of all clients (130,345), and clients aged 55 or older made up the remaining 13.9% (86,615 clients). Compared to FY1819, youth clients decreased significantly (-9.3%), while other categories of clients stayed relatively stable: clients aged 55 or older (+0.3%) and core-aged clients (-0.3%).

Text description of Chart 2

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15-24 years old)	18%	19%	19%	19%	19%	19%	21%	20%	21%	22%	21%
Core-age (25-54 years old)	72%	70%	70%	70%	69%	68%	67%	67%	66%	63%	65%
Workers aged 55+	9%	9%	9%	11%	12%	12%	12%	13%	13%	13%	14%

In the context of an aging labour force, the number of EBSM clients aged 55 or older increased by 48.3% compared to FY0910 results. Clients aged 55 or older now represent 13.9% all total clients, compared to 8.8% a decade earlier.

Despite the decline in FY1920, in the past 10 years, youth participation in active labour market programming has also increased (+10.1%), as provinces and territories prioritized serving younger people to help counter the effects of an aging population, while developing and maintaining a competitive workforce. This age cohort now represents over 20.9% of all clients, compared to 17.9% 10 years earlier.

Given the growth of both youth and clients aged 55 or older, the number of core-age clients (25-54 years old) has declined (-14.5%) over the last 10 years. Core-age workers now represent 65.1% of all clients, compared to 71.8% in FY0910.

Designated groups^{Footnote 10}

In support of employment equity principles, ESDC collects information on the EBSM participation of women, Indigenous peoples, members of visible minority groups and persons with disabilities. As participants^{Footnote 11} voluntarily self-identify, annual fluctuations may be due to changes in self-identification rates.

• Women participated in a total of 445,356 EBSM interventions in FY1920, a 6.2% decrease year-over-year (44.5% of all interventions delivered to Canadians, compared to 45.3% in FY1819). Women accessed predominately EAS interventions (84.2%); at a higher rate than men (75.3%). Women accessed 15.1% of the Employment Benefits delivered in FY1819. Among participants who were women, most were non-insured clients (38.2%), followed by active EI claimants (30.4%) and former EI claimants (19.6%). The remainder of women participants (11.8%) were under the PPE client category
• In FY1920, a total of 137,460 participants self-identified as persons with disabilities, a decrease of 2.5% year-over-year. Persons with disabilities participated in 13.7% of all interventions delivered in FY1920, a 0.3 percentage point increase year-over-year. The vast majority (82.1%) participated in an EAS intervention, compared to 17.9% who participated in Employment Benefits
• Indigenous peoples participated in 128,462 interventions in FY1920, representing an increase of 15.2% year-over-year. As a share of all ESBM interventions delivered in Canada, Indigenous peoples participated in 12.8% of the total (up from 10.6% of interventions in FY1819), including programming delivered through ISET. The vast majority of Indigenous participants (80.3%) participated in an EAS intervention, compared to 19.7% who participated in Employment Benefits
• Members of visible minority groups participated in 97,971 interventions in FY1920, dropping by 32.8% year-over-year. Among all interventions delivered in Canada, members of visible minority groups represented 9.8% of participants, compared to 7.0% in FY1819. The majority of interventions (87%) were EAS, compared to 13% for Employment Benefits

Official languages

To foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society, and to help ensure that labour market programs and services are delivered in both official languages, all LMDAs contain commitments by provinces and territories to have programs and services delivered in both official languages, where there is significant demand.

Employment Assistance Services^{Footnote 13}

Employment Assistance Services support client to prepare for, find and keep employment, through various services (such as, career advice and employment counselling, job search assistance, or Information on the labour market and education/training opportunities). EAS interventions provide crucial support to those who have been absent from the labour market for an extensive period or who have low job attachment. They may also support new immigrants or young people who are entering the Canadian labour market for the first time. These interventions are reported in 1 of the 3 following categories: Employment Services, Group Services, or Individual Counselling.

In FY1920, a total of 770,725 EAS interventions were delivered, a decrease of 10.3% year-over-year. Total expenditures on EAS were 639.5 million, compared to $705.4 million in the previous reporting year.

Individual Counselling is particularly important when supporting clients who face barriers to employment, and often need action plans as a pathway to Employment Benefits. In FY1920, with an increase of 21.8% year-over-year to a total of 408,261 interventions, Individual Counselling was the most common EAS intervention type, accounting for 53.0% of all EAS interventions (compared to 39% in FY1819). Employment Services interventions was the second most common EAS intervention type, accounting for 45.7% of all EAS interventions in FY1920, compared to 58.8% a year earlier. A total of 352,142 Employment Services interventions were delivered, a decrease of 30.3% year-over-year, with largest decreases in Alberta (-72.4%) and Saskatchewan (-100%). Group Services dropped by 44.8%, for a total of 10,322 interventions delivered. In turn, the share of Group Services among all EAS-type interventions dropped to 1.3%, compared to 2.2% in the previous year.

Other support measures

The Labour Market Partnerships (LMPs) measure facilitates collaboration between employers, employees and employer associations, as well as community groups and communities, to develop solutions to labour force imbalances, such as persistent high unemployment or skill shortages. Under LMPs, employer-sponsored training includes assistance to employers to support approved training activities for employees in order to maintain their employment. This may include employees affected by technological or structural changes in the economy. In FY1920, LMPs expenditures totalled $276.9 million, compared to $253.4 million in the previous year.

Research and Innovation (R&I) initiatives identify better ways of helping people prepare for, return to or maintain employment and participate productively in the labour force. In FY1920, R&I expenditures totalled $117.3 million, compared to $94 million in the previous year.

Table 5 – Support measures and other support measures, Canada, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the information is presented in text format. Consult the PDF version for the table.

• *Expenditures for Employment Assistance Services are reported at the aggregate level by most provinces and territories.

**Expenditures for Labour Market Partnerships includes employer-sponsored training.

Targeted Measures under LMDAs in FY1920

In FY1920, the Government of Canada made available additional time-limited targeted funding, under the LMDAs, to support workers and communities affected by duties and tariffs imposed by the United States on steel and aluminum products. In addition, Budget 2018 announced additional funding to assist workers in seasonal industries over 2 years, which started in FY1819. For FY1920, $45.5 million was made available to provinces and territories under 2 measures: $20.5M for workers in seasonal industries and $25M for workers affected by the steel and aluminum trade dispute. Provinces and territories accessed roughly $41.8 million of the funding.

Jurisdictions invested the additional funding in existing and new programming. For example, Newfoundland and Labrador utilized the seasonal worker funding ($1.6 million) for the Impacted Fish Plant Worker Program. This targeted program focused on creating short-term employment for workers from fish plants deemed impacted by the downturn in the fishing sector.

Under the LMDA-funded Sector Council Program, the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Sector Council and the Nova Scotia Fisheries Human Resource Sector Council used the targeted funding ($1.6 million) to provide support to seasonal industry sectors for recruitment, attraction, retention, and training of workers.

In FY1920, Ontario invested targeted funding in programs such as Adjustment Advisory Program, SkillsAdvance Ontario and Pre-Apprenticeship to support workers in seasonal industries and those workers affected by the steel and aluminum trade dispute. The funding involved 24 projects, assisted more than 500 employers and served over 2,000 clients.

In Quebec, the additional targeted funding for workers in seasonal industries ($8 million) supported a pilot project for extending periods of hiring seasonal workers in companies with training and income support once their EI benefits had expired.

Additional information on provincial and territorial activities is available in Section 3.2 of this chapter.

3.2.2.1 Managing for results

In 2019 to 2020, Newfoundland and Labrador made significant improvements in capturing data from community partners, to improve reporting and the assessment of results. The Province worked with community organizations to align the Accountability Resource Management System (ARMS) with the required fields outlined in the new performance measurement strategy developed with the Government of Canada. This has permitted a better, more regular and consistent data sharing with the federal government. As well, it has allowed the Province's community partners to demonstrate a larger reach in supporting individuals in employment as well as training programs and services.

3.2.2.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

For a second consecutive year, the total number of clients served in Newfoundland and Labrador declined, reaching 9,649 (-1.1%) in FY1920. While the number of active clients dropped by 24.4% (or 1,885) to 5,831, that of former clients (2,284), PPE (281), and non-insured clients (1,253) grew up by 66.6%, 126.6%, and 131.2%, respectively.

PPE, the new client type as of FY1819, accounted for 2.9% for all clients served, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.6 percentage point. The share of active clients fell from 79.1% to 60.4 % of all clients served, that of former clients and non-insured advanced from 14.1% to 23.7%, and 5.6% to 13.0%, respectively.

In FY1920, Newfoundland and Labrador delivered 24,657 (+17.8% year over year) EBSM-similar interventions. Support Measures (62.3%) represented the most delivered interventions, and the proportion of Employment Benefits was 37.7% of all interventions. Compared to the previous year, 2,990 insured clients returned to work after participating in an EBSM-similar program, a 2.1% year-over-year decrease. Unpaid EI benefits increased by 3.6% to $16.74 million.

EBSM total expenditures advanced by 4.0% to $135.6 million, including $9.9 million from the Province's share of the additional $250.0 million LMDA investment announced in Budget 2017, as well as funding measures provided to support workers in seasonal industries ($1.6 million) and those affected by trade disputes in the steel and aluminum industries ($500,000).

Because of the additional funding provided as part of Budget 2017, Newfoundland and Labrador strategically invested funds to support individuals and employers in accessing training and employment services. Some examples of this investment include:

• to address labour market needs, the College of the North Atlantic was supported to develop new offerings of the Practical Nursing program and increase intake within existing programs. As a result, approximately 116 individuals will participate in FY2021
• to assist with government's strategic action plans to enhance the quality of the provincial Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce and increase educational qualifications in the field, the College of the North Atlantic was supported to address the current waitlist for ECE, as well as to find ways of increasing access to ECE online. Approximately 120 individuals were supported to further develop their ECE credentials
• led by the Community Sector Council NL, the Tapping the Untapped Potential in the Community Sector project will help address the significant labour market issues relevant to community-based, non-profit supply, as well as demand regarding employment potential and growth. Funding was provided for a project to focus on planning for attraction, retention, succession and growth of the paid and unpaid labour force
• Newfoundland and Labrador, in partnership with TradesNL and the Innu Nation, established the Trades NL Indigenous Apprentice Office. This office will recruit, promote, support and advance the economic and professional growth of Indigenous populations of Newfoundland and Labrador within the skilled trades, with an emphasis on trades and Red Seal occupations

Newfoundland and Labrador utilized the seasonal worker funding to respond to circumstances such as industry closures and downsizing (fish plant closures), through the provision of LMDA programs such as skills development and wage subsidy supports, to assist those impacted in seeking meaningful employment.

• The Impacted Fish Plant Worker Program is an example. The targeted program is focused on creating short-term employment for workers, from fish plants deemed impacted by the downturn in the fishing sector. The Fish Plant Worker Program is administered by Municipal Affairs and Environment (MAE), and impacted fish plants are identified by the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources (FLR). Once a fish plant is identified by FLR, MAE will make contact with the plant to obtain a plant worker list, as well as reach out to the community in which the plant is located to secure a sponsor. If another sponsor is needed to accommodate the workers of the impacted plant, then MAE will reach out again and pursue projects in other communities tied to those impacted workers
• As part of The Way Forward, industry and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador collaborated, through the Cabinet Committee on Jobs, to support economic growth and foster private sector job creation. As part of this work, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association Inc. jointly developed the Aquaculture Sector Work Plan, which includes actions that each of the partners will take, to achieve the collective goal of growing the aquaculture industry and stimulating new private sector employment. The Province utilized seasonal funding to create awareness, understanding and interest to promote recruitment to the industry

In FY1920, Newfoundland and Labrador supported individuals who were directly or indirectly affected by the United States' decision to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum products. To provide displaced workers with the training and employment supports they need to successfully transition to new jobs, the province supported 31 wages subsidy plans for employers to hire steel and aluminum workers, as well as provided skills training to an additional 185 individuals.

Text description of Chart 4

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active claimants	13,466	11,215	10,027	9,124	8,831	8,850	8,941	9,308	9,390	7,716	5,831
Former claimants	3,114	2,748	2,405	1,992	1,928	2,513	2,095	1,812	2,370	1,371	2,284
PPE										124	281
Non-insured clients	2,302	2,171	2,031	2,046	1,980	1,126	1,297	1,232	1,107	542	1,253

Text description of Chart 5

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	4,061	3,541	3,055	2,846	2,325	1,627	1,700	1,545	1,547	1,466	2,196
Core-age (25 to 54)	10,957	9,154	8,066	6,942	7,699	3,814	4,021	4,216	4,204	3,840	5,445
Older workers (55+)	1,341	1,178	1,124	1,145	376	665	676	769	804	832	1,126

Text description of Chart 6

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	6,526	6,857	6,335	6,114	5,918	3,298	3,306	3,696	2,795	3,055	2,990
Active claimants served	13,466	11,215	10,027	9,124	8,831	8,850	8,941	9,308	9,390	7,716	5,831
Total clients served	18,882	16,134	14,463	13,162	12,739	12,489	12,333	12,352	12,867	9,753	9,649
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$32.94	$31.20	$26.71	$30.42	$25.69	$25.35	$22.25	$23.23	$17.47	$16.16	$16.74

Table 7 – Newfoundland and Labrador: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.2.3 Employment benefits

In FY1920, total number of Employment Benefit interventions in Newfoundland and Labrador jumped by 28.4%, to 9,303. While TWS (+124; +15.5%), SE (+135; +50.6%), JCP (+170; +12.3%) and SD-R (+1,820; +56.1%) increased, SD-A decreased by 12.4% (-192). Total expenditures towards Employment Benefits ($110.5 million) dropped by 2.5%.

3.2.2.4 Support measures: EAS

EAS interventions in Newfoundland and Labrador rose from 13,687, in FY1819, to 15,354 in FY1920, a 12.2% year-over-year growth. While Employment services (+870; +17.1%) and Individual Counselling (+4,399; +88.1%) interventions increased, Group Services (-3,602; -100.0%) declined compared to the previous fiscal year. Total EAS expenditures advanced by 25.4% to $12.6 million.

3.2.2.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

In FY1920, Newfoundland and Labrador's total funding for LMP and R&I reached $12.5 million (+18.0%). While funding towards LMP ($8.4 million) increased by 13.4%, R&I funding ($4.0 million) increased by 29.0%.

Activities offered under the Employer-Sponsored Training component of Labour Market Partnerships

As part of the expanded eligibility included in the amendment to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador LMDA signed in 2018, the province has increased flexibility to support employer-sponsored training under Labour Market Partnerships. In FY1920, 2 employers availed of this programming:

• Labrador Gem Seafood Incorporated had 40 fish plant workers in Ramea, trained in sea urchin processing, with the assistance of a consultant from Japan. Employees received an introduction to the process flow for this specialized production, followed by the provision of various tools used to generate the best quality product and actual processing. Employees were given work assignments and the instructors monitored, to determine their effectiveness in each role. A daily performance sheet was used to evaluate progress in the position. At the end of the training, a report was issued for each employee, and management decided on the most effective positioning for each person in the process flow. This training will help extend the operating season for this seafood processing facility, thereby decreasing the employee's reliance on EI benefits
• Dallas Mercer Consulting Inc. (DMC) supports hundreds of employers across Canada, by managing workers' compensation and sick leave claims. Due to a skills shortage in the field of expertise, DMC is implementing a coaching and shadowing program. DMC anticipates it will take 12 months for an inexperienced new employee to be fully trained and productive, as a DMC Disability Manager, with continued coaching as needed

During this training process, trainees will be exposed to different approaches to manage sick leave and WorkplaceNL cases, as well as collaborating on unique or challenging cases through reviews. Classroom time will be required, to learn and study all provincial legislation as it relates to workers' compensation, policies, procedures, as well as case studies to understand application.

Each trainee will get experiential learning to:

• review Workers' Compensation Monthly Cost Statements
• understand how to develop relationships with and the value of client interaction
• learn how to interact with workers and obtain answers to questions, and,
• understand what to look for when doing a case review, and where to focus attention to obtain desired outcome

This training began January 2020 and ended in December 2020.

Results/lessons learned for any research and innovation projects that concluded in FY1920.

Although most of the projects funded through the Workforce Innovation Centre were still ongoing at the time this report was made public, it is anticipated the findings from research projects will inform innovative models and best practices for labour market programs and services. Examples of promising practices include:

• evidence for Community Employment Services – Collective Interchange Cooperative (CIC) and Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF); $314,732
• led by CIC, in partnership with CCDF, this 3-year project is being implemented across employment support agencies within the Avalon Region of Newfoundland and Labrador. This project aims to answer 2 research questions:

• What employment support interventions will produce the best results given clients existing strengths and weaknesses?
• How can the data collected be used to create system efficiencies and ensure that services meet the client's needs, which would result in outcomes that are beneficial to clients and funders?

Through a survey of career practitioners, it was determined that an enhancement of the Performance Recording Instrument for Meaningful Evaluation (PRIME) interactive software will give employment service providers a mapping of tailored interventions and outcomes. The PRIME 2.0 system will enable meaningful recording and reporting of progress in vital client centered characteristics, which will support the evaluation of client progress and interventions.

The enhancement of PRIME 2.0 is currently being piloted by community agencies in the Avalon Region. This learning may be applied to various career and employment services contexts from community services, post-secondary, to government service delivery. Because of the research completed to date, many of the agencies will continue to use the PRIME 2.0 after the project is completed. It is anticipated the software will be expanded to other jurisdictions.

Improving Psychological Health and Safety in Health Care Workers through Technology Based Support: Project Plan – Eastern Health; $443,000

Eastern Health, in partnership with IBM, is undertaking a pilot project to test ways to improve mental health and safety through technology-based support. The project will help determine if technology based support increases employee knowledge and uptake of psychological support services. It is anticipated that this will also improve employee wellness factors and organizational healthy workplace indicators. This 3-year project will involve the development, implementation and evaluation of application based technology. This will incorporate internal and external supports to the organization, as well as a built in peer "chat" function, that will allow employees to gain timely and appropriate support, as well as information about services and supports available to them.

To date, the Employee Virtual Assistant (EVA) software was developed and launched prior to the COVID pandemic. As a first test, EVA assessed the impacts of the virus on Eastern Health workers. There is significant interest in early adoption of the tool beyond Eastern Heath, to other Health Boards in the province.

3.2.3.1 Managing for Results

In FY1920, PEI invested in substantial IT system updates, to improve the quantity and quality of data collected from clients, programs and outcomes from its LMDA-funded programs.

As part of the new performance measurement strategy developed with the Government of Canada, Prince Edward Island redesigned the Action Plan screens in its client management system. Beginning with the needs assessment, PEI replaced free text collection of skills, employment barriers and personal barriers with extensive pre-defined lists. The Province designed robust reports to support this data collection, allowing for better analysis and understanding of the barriers affecting clients, as well as the barriers leading to specific programming decisions.

3.2.3.2 Clients, Interventions and Expenditures

After 4 consecutive years of growth, the number of clients served in Prince Edward Island in FY1920 dropped by 8.0%, to 5,861. With the exception of former claimants, which increased by 3.8% (+27), all other client types decreased significantly: active claimants (-331; -9.1%), PPE (-17; -3.9%) and non-insured clients (-187; -11.7%). In terms of their shares relative to the total number of clients, former claimants (12.6%) increased by 1.4 percentage points while non-insured clients (24.0%) decreased by 1.0 percentage point. Other client-types shares relative to the total number of clients showed relative year-over-year stability – active claimants (56.2%; -0.7 percentage points) and PPE (7.2%; +0.3 percentage points).

The total number of interventions delivered in Prince Edward Island (10,387) remained relatively stable (+0.2%) in FY1920. With 66.1% (-0.4 percentage point) of all interventions, EAS was the most delivered intervention, whereas Employment Benefits represented 33.9% of all interventions. In total, 2,508 (+1.5%) individuals were employed after participating in an EBSM-similar intervention. Unpaid EI benefits advanced by 2.4% to $6.82 million. EBSM total expenditures reached $27.2 million (-1.8%). In addition to the Province's share of the ongoing 1.95 billion dollars in LMDA program funding ($23.9 million), expenditures included its share of the additional $250.0 million envelope announced in Budget 2017 ($2.4 million). Expenditures also included the additional targeted funding provided to support workers in seasonal industries ($525,000), as well as those affected by the trade dispute with the US in the steel and aluminum industries ($500,000).

In FY1920, Prince Edward Island increased its funding to support group-based training initiatives, to support key sectors in the Province requiring more workers. The Province has placed an increased emphasis on providing sector specific short-term training, to transition unemployed individuals back to work. Short-term training was provided to job seekers, and included a classroom component, as well as the short duration training certificates/courses (for example, first aid certifications, food safety) needed to meet specific job or industry requirements. In addition, group-based training initiatives provided job seekers with essential skills training, which included a classroom component that focused on upskilling of essential skills (literacy, numeracy, document use, writing, oral communications, thinking, digital technology, working with others or continuous learning).

Investments in targeted funding supported workers directly and indirectly affected by the lumber and steel-aluminum trade disputes, in order to support their transition to sustainable employment, through wage subsidies and training.

Text description of Chart 7

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	2,740	2,882	2,921	3,032	2,963	2,709	2,876	2,798	3,487	3,624	3,293
Former clients	487	572	574	708	703	621	657	709	784	712	739
PPE										438	421
Non-insured clients	885	1,071	1,340	1,316	1,285	1,470	1,681	1,893	1,852	1,595	1,408

Text description of Chart 8

Category	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	950	1,124	1,202	1,265	1,259	1,276	1,456	1,542	2,309	2,488	2,665
Core-age (25 to 54)	2,504	2,705	2,937	3,023	2,920	2,776	2,954	3,137	3,072	2,943	2,600
Older workers (55+)	275	312	364	446	463	438	508	458	499	507	452

Text description of Chart 9

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	1,839	2,159	2,034	1,939	2,194	1,934	1,997	2,081	2,202	2,470	2,508
Active claimants served	2,740	2,882	2,921	3,032	2,963	2,709	2,876	2,798	3,487	3,624	3,293
Total clients served	4,112	4,525	4,835	5,056	4,951	4,800	5,214	5,400	6,123	6,369	5,861
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$8.92	$9.07	$8.16	$7.53	$7.19	$6.52	$6.99	$7.14	$7.13	$6.66	$6.82

Table 8 – Prince Edward Island: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.3.3 Employment benefits

In FY1920, for a fifth consecutive year, Employment Benefits in Prince Edward Island increased, totalling 3,525 (+1.4%). This growth relied solely on SD-R (+140; +5.8%), which increased for a third consecutive year; whereas TWS (-52; -9.3%), SE (-30; -19.9%) and SD-A (-8; -2.6%) contracted. With 59 interventions, JCP remained unchanged year-over-year. Expenditures on Employment Benefits increased from $21.3 million to $21.6 million, a 1.1% rise over FY1819.

3.2.3.4 Support measures: EAS

In FY1920, Prince Edward Island delivered 26 fewer EAS interventions than in FY1819. The EAS intervention types moved in opposite directions, with Employment Services increasing by +1.4% (+61), to 4,563, and Individual Counselling declining by 3.6% (-87), to 2,299. Expenditures on EAS decreased by $330, 000 (-7.1%) to $4.3 million.

3.2.3.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

Expenditures on LMP ($1.3 million) decreased in FY1920 compared to FY1819 (-23.1%). There were no reported expenditures under R&I in FY1920.

Nova Scotia: EBSM key facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 12,558

EI clients	Non-insured clients
9,700	2,858

Total interventions: 25,274

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	5,349	25.00%
Support Measures: EAS	19,925	1.50%

Relative share of interventions

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	21.2%	4.9
Support Measures: EAS	78.8%	4.9

Total allocation: $89.4 million*

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$45.9	5.0%
Support Measures: EAS	$27.2	18.4%
LMP and R&I	$15.3	206.4%
Total expenditures**	$88.5	2.0%

Unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$26.43	$22.95	13.20%

• * Nova Scotia invested $915,000 of its total allocation towards administration costs, representing 8.8% of the Budget 2017 additional funding the Province received in FY1920.
• ** Totals may not add up due to rounding; does not include accounting adjustments.

In FY1920, employment grew in Nova Scotia, totalling 460,500 (+6,800; +1.5%), mostly in part-time positions (+3,900; +4.8%), with full-time employment only growing slightly (+2,900; +0.8%), year-over-year. The unemployment rate edged up to 7.7%, compared to 7.3% in the previous year. Net employment growth in the goods-producing industries (+2,000; +2.4%) occurred mainly in construction (+500; +1.6%) and in forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas (+1,500; +16.0%). On a net basis, services-producing industries (+4,800; +1.3%) created jobs in public administration (+1,200; +4.1%); wholesale and retail trade (+1,400; +1.8%); and, health care and social assistance (+5,200; +7.7%). Employment losses were recorded in sectors such as educational service (-1,300; -3.6%) and other services (-2,200; -11.9%).

3.2.4.1 Managing for results

Nova Scotia made significant strategic investments in the implementation of the national Target, Referral, and Feedback (TRF) system, that allows the province to reach out to new EI applicants, in order to promote programs and services that will facilitate returns to work. After a year in development, Nova Scotia TRF was launched in February 2020 as an integrated component of the provincial Labour Market Programs Support System (LaMPSS). The new system will automate the import of new EI Claimant referral contact files from the Government of Canada, create new client records or append existing records and manage the disbursement of automated contact correspondence to referral clients. The Province is able to track the response rate from clients as they register for services at Nova Scotia's Works sites, and report referral outcomes back to the Government of Canada.

Generally, the Province anticipates quicker returns to employment for the TRF clients and reduced dependence on EI. The system also allows Nova Scotia to get better precision in terms of target and reach out to those in at-risk occupations, under-represented groups, low education or low wage earners in different areas of the Province. The impacts of TRF will be monitored and assessed in more details in future editions of this report.

In addition to the TRF release, for the purpose of continuous improvement, Nova Scotia implemented 2 other releases of the LaMPSS system platform, to allow users to better document program sponsor and participant administrative information. This includes enhancements to the FAI Payment Calculator, the Multi-Year Review process and changes to help reduce the need for agreement amendments. A number of improvements have also been made to the LaMPSS Data Warehouse environment, in order to make adhoc reporting much faster, easier and more robust.

Nova Scotia completed a Lean Six Sigma review of the Self-Employment Benefit (SEB) program. The intent of the review was to uncover and understand the delivery of the SEB program. Although SEB service providers are responsible for the delivery of the program content (training, workshops, one-on-one support), it was not clear what training and / or workshops were offered, when these are offered and by whom, as well as what is the level of support provided to each participant. Therefore, it was unclear if the SEB program was running efficiently and effectively to meet program outcomes. It is the intent that the findings of the SEB program review will assist Employment Nova Scotia (ENS) in future program planning.

The SEB review consisted of in-person interviews, with 15 SEB Service Providers, conference calls, with a selection of 8 Employment Assistance Service Providers, 4 regional in-person Lean sessions with ENS staff, an analysis of administrative and contractual data, as well as the analysis of survey data collected from current and past SEB applicants to the program, from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2018 (regardless of whether they had their applications approved or not). Activities of the review began in September 2018 and concluded in June 2019.

Through this review, it was determined that the programming offered by the SEB Service Providers varied across the Province, and the level of support provided to each participant was inconsistent and dependent on the capacity of the SEB Coordinator. The referral and intake process of the SEB program creates a lot of confusion and places a significant burden on the applicant, due to its "back and forth" nature. However, it was determined that the SEB program does provide education and training that is expanding business development opportunities, creating a community of entrepreneurship, as well as offering networking possibilities to grow the economy of Nova Scotia.

In total, 13 recommendations were presented to ENS in order to improve the delivery of the SEB program. As a next step, the Planning and Excellence Team is working in partnership with Employment Nova Scotia in the scope development, procurement and recruitment of the parties necessary to implement a number of the recommendations. This is anticipated to take place in early 2021.

Nova Scotia also completed a Lean Six Sigma review of the START Program (Targeted Wage Subsidy). The review began in 2018 and was completed in FY1920. It included stakeholder consultation and evaluation, as well as Lean assessment of program delivery.

• Key findings:
  • START is offering valued employment attachment and work experience for job seekers, while aiding employers in adding capacity to their business
• Recommendation highlights:
  • develop approach to increased wrap-around supports (for example, pre-employment preparations and soft skills training for job seekers) to improve retention
  • increase program promotion
  • solidify roles and responsibilities within the program regarding government administration, service provider role and the employer's role
  • develop ways to support diverse hiring (for example, hiring bonuses and wrap-around supports for employers, to prepare for hiring diverse candidates)

Nova Scotia Works (NSW) Program (Employment Assistance Services Program):

• a new funding model was instituted in January 2020. It includes an accountability framework for socio economic impacts and performance incentives for achievement of outcomes for our NSW delivery partners

Skills Development Program:

• implemented the Skills Development Program Labour Force Attachment pilot for underrepresented groups in the labour market
• improved accessibility supports for clients − a more streamlined approval process to support participants, of the province's Skills Development Program, who require disability related services and equipment was implemented in Fall of 2019

START (Targeted Wage Subsidy) and Job Creation Partnership (JCP) Programs:

• implemented a Family Hiring Policy (Fall 2019) for START and JCP to encourage a fair and transparent hiring and selection process for job placements. The policy also supports the employment of individuals from certain groups that are underrepresented in the labour market

3.2.4.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

In FY1920, the total number of clients served in Nova Scotia decreased, reaching 12,558 (-18.7%). While PPE (1,045) remained stable year-over-year, former claimants (2,119) increased by 11.5%; while active claimants (6,536) and non-insured clients (2,858) dropped by 31.0% and 6.0%, respectively. The decline in active claimants can largely be attributed to the Labour Force Attachment (LFA) policy change that tightened eligibility for the Feepayer program. This program allows laid off workers to invest in their own training and continue to receive their regular EI benefits while in training. There was a drop of 1,611 Feepayer program applicants in FY1920, which accounts for 17% of the 31% decline in active claimants served. The number of non-insured clients decreased for a third consecutive year.

As for their shares of the total number of clients, active claimants declined by 9.3 percentage points to 52.0%, while former claimants (16.9%), PPE (8.3%) and non-insured clients (22.8%) advanced by 4.6, 1.6, and 3.1 percentage points, respectively. The total number of interventions delivered in Nova Scotia declined for a third consecutive year, totalling 25,274 in FY1920, decreasing by 7.7% year-over-year. The province is also undertaking a review of how interventions are documented and tracked, to improve the activity measurement process. At 78.8% (+4.9 percentage points) of all interventions, EAS-interventions remained the most used intervention type in Nova Scotia.

A total number of 3,834 insured clients returned to work after participating in an EBSM-similar program, which is 1,241 (-24.5%) less than in FY1819. The decrease in insured clients employed is largely due to administrative and system issues that are being investigated by Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada. An estimated 1,850 employed results were incorrectly deducted from the total, which would bring the count to 5,684; which would be 609 more than in FY1819 (+12%). Unpaid EI benefits fell from $26.43 million to $22.95 million, representing a 13.2% year-over-year decline.

In addition to the Province's share of the ongoing $1.95 billion dollars in LMDA program funding ($77.5 million), some expenditures were also drawn from the additional $250 million LMDA envelope announced in Budget 2017 ($10.3 million, of which $915,000 was used towards administration costs). The Province also fully invested the additional targeted funding made available to support workers in seasonal industries, which was $1.6 million. Nova Scotia did not access the $500,000 additional funding to help workers in steel and aluminum industries affected by the U.S. trade dispute.

In recent years, the Government of Nova Scotia has been working closely with seasonal industries including tourism, fisheries and agriculture, to better support their need to address workforce challenges. Through recent workforce studies and available labour market information, it has been determined the tourism, fisheries and agricultural sectors all have workers who experience unique challenges due to the cyclical nature of their work. Ongoing work with these sectors and discussions with Tourism Nova Scotia, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, have determined training to be a need.

Under the LMDA-funded Sector Council Program, the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Sector Council and the Nova Scotia Fisheries Human Resource Sector Council used the targeted funding to provide support to seasonal industry sectors for recruitment, attraction, retention, and training of workers.

The additional targeted funding will also allow for the provision of skills training to those most in need in these sectors and allow these individuals to increase their employability skills, essential skills, as well as their technical skills. This work will continue into FY2021 to fully assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on these seasonal industries and to deliver customized solutions, where appropriate.

Text description of Chart 10

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	12,313	11,437	10,250	10,080	9,313	9,360	9,575	9,651	9,152	9,466	6,536
Former clients	3,218	3,407	3,089	3,399	2,779	2,202	2,134	2,141	2,397	1,901	2,119
PPE										1,041	1,045
Non-insured clients	4,155	4,429	4,247	4,410	4,545	4,397	4,620	4,717	4,337	3,040	2,858

Text description of Chart 11

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	3,720	3,614	3,281	3,059	2,963	2,618	2,590	2,422	2,288	3,506	1,972
Core-age (25 to 54)	12,536	12,134	11,154	10,386	9,848	8,667	8,792	8,991	8,699	8,145	7,557
Older workers (55+)	1,405	1,446	1,388	1,436	1,548	1,401	1,589	1,735	1,855	1,618	1,615

Text description of Chart 12

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	5,908	6,942	6,734	5,259	5,680	5,608	5,100	5,153	5,624	5,075	3,834
Active claimants served	12,313	11,437	10,250	10,080	9,313	9,360	9,575	9,651	9,152	9,466	6,536
Total clients served	19,686	19,273	17,586	17,889	16,637	15,959	16,329	16,509	15,886	15,448	12,558
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$30.09	$33.28	$25.38	$25.75	$28.60	$28.00	$22.95	$22.95	$22.95	$22.95	$22.95

Table 9 – Nova Scotia: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.4.3 Employment benefits

In FY1920, Nova Scotia delivered a total of 5,349 (-25.0%) Employment Benefits compared to 7,136 in FY1819. A policy change around client eligibility for the Feepayer program (SD-R) impacted this decline the most (-1,800; -51.3%), followed by SD-A (-282; -14.1%); whereas TWS (264; +28.4%), SE(12; +2.2%) and JCP (19; +14.3%) advanced. Expenditures on Employment Benefit interventions declined by $2.4 million (-5.0%) year-over-year, to $45.9 million in FY1920.

3.2.4.4 Support measures: EAS

Nova Scotia delivered a total number of 19,925 EAS interventions in FY1920, 307 (-1.5%) fewer interventions than in FY1819. This drop is mainly attributed to Group Services (-808; -100%) as Employment Service and Individual Counselling increased by 375 (+2.1%) and 126 (+6.8%), respectively. Overall expenditures on EAS decreased by $6.1 million year-over-year, to $27.2 million in FY1920.

3.2.4.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

Expenditures on LMP more than doubled in FY1920 ($11.5 million) compared to FY1819 ($4.7 million), while funding of R&I initiatives declined by 23.4% year-over-year, to $0.3 million in FY1819.

Nova Scotia funded 4 projects under the Research and Innovation support measure in FY1920. Although none concluded during the year, here is how they have progressed so far:

• development continues on the Digital Nova Scotia platform, which will significantly enhance the Province's on-line presence for employment and training information and assisted service capacity
• an agreement with Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax will help develop a Centre for Digital Learning, which will be a resource and provide on-line learning best practice support for a number of universities and Nova Scotia Community College campuses in the region
• Nova Scotia has invested in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), an international initiative to survey adults in areas such as literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills. The investment will fund the entire sampling needs for Nova Scotia in the next PIAAC cycle
• Nova Scotia continues to partner with Phoenix Youth Programs, to fund a pilot workplace attachment program for under-represented groups, and the project will work in collaboration with the Centre for Employment Innovation at St. Francis Xavier University. The project will run until Oct 2020

New Brunswick: EBSM key facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 21,997

Insured clients	Non-insured clients
14,711	7,286

Total interventions: 44, 741

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	13,346	4.60%
Support Measures: EAS	31,395	10.80%

Relative share of interventions

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	29.80%	1.3
Support Measures: EAS	70.20%	1.3

Total allocation: $ 100.0 million

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$73.30	6.20%
Support Measures: EAS	$8.50	10.60%
LMP and R&I	$17.50	41.10%
Total expenditures*	$99.20	1.10%

Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$25.00	$26.37	5.50%

• * Totals may not add up due to rounding; does not include accounting adjustments.

Leading up to the pandemic, labour market conditions had been relatively stable in New Brunswick. Employment (+1,300; +0.4%) edged up slightly year-over-year between FY1819 and FY1920, with the unemployment rate unchanged at 8.0%. On a net basis, employment increases occurred almost entirely in the goods-producing sector, mainly in construction (+1,800; +7.6%), with a drop in manufacturing (-900;-2.8%). In the services-producing sector, net gains recorded in professional, scientific and technical services (+1,200; +7.4%); health care and social assistance (+900; +1.4%); and public administration (+1,000; +4.1%) were somewhat offset by net job losses in accommodation and food services (-2,000; -8.7%).

New Brunswick's economy and labour force continued to face on-going challenges such as slow population growth, an aging population and net out-migration of youth and skilled workers. The Province also continued to experience a high unemployment rate relative to the rest of Canada. Although relatively poor economic and workforce growth is expected over the short-term, many job openings will still be in demand as a result of high replacement demand (for example, retirements). New Brunswick continues to focus on attracting, retaining and educating a highly skilled workforce. To ensure New Brunswick can be responsive to labour market challenges and opportunities, the Province plans to continue to:

• collaborate with employers and workers to respond and support them in addressing their workforce as well as training needs
• promote and increase adult literacy, essential skills and continuous learning
• increase participation in post-secondary education
• increase the size, skill level and productivity of New Brunswick's work force
• improve access to and dissemination of relevant labour market information, and
• invest in innovative programs and services including workplace learning, upskilling employees and experiential learning as well as on the job training

3.2.5.1 Managing for results

FY1920 saw further implementation of Human Resource Support Services (HRSS). As an employer case management process, HRSS assists employers in assessing their human resource needs, recommends options and supports their implementation. HRSS also helps employers in management of the people within their business, which includes attracting and retaining the right workers to meet operational needs. A new system was contracted to gather and track the case management of employers being served under HRSS. This in turn will provide a source of local labour market information, supporting current and future evidence-based decision making as it concerns employer initiatives.

During FY1920, the implementation of the Workplace Connections (WPC) service started. This new tool is a client focused wage subsidy service. A placement under WPC is initiated because of a client's employment action plan. Whether career exploration, skills enhancement or experiential in nature, such a need can be fulfilled by contracting an appropriate employer to act as a mentor, while providing a work placement to the client.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Province's initiative to offer New Brunswick employers and job seekers a virtual environment to attend job fairs was thrust into implementation at the end of FY1920. The Virtual Job Fair platform has allowed the Province to put on Job Fairs during the pandemic, while easily abiding by physical distancing restrictions. The events have become in high demand by New Brunswick's partner departments and other jurisdictions. Not only does the platform allow for such activity to continue during the COVID-19 crisis, it also allows Job Seekers from across the nation and beyond to attend the job fair, if desired. This represents an additional tool to facilitate recruitment activities with and for the employers of New Brunswick.

3.2.5.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

In FY1920, the total number of clients served in New Brunswick grew by 2.2% (+470) to 21,997. While non-insured clients (7,286) dropped by 3.5% year-over-year, active claimants (10,716), former claimants (2,595) and PPE (1,400) increased by 3.2%, 14.7% and 5.5%, respectively. With respect to their shares of the total number of clients served, non-insured clients (33.1%) decreased by 2.0 percentage points, as active claimants (48.7%), former claimants (11.8%) and PPE (6.4%) rose by 0.4, 1.3 and 0.2 percentage points, respectively.

In FY1920, New Brunswick delivered 3,643 more interventions (+8.9%) than in FY1819, for a total of 44,741. At 70.2% of all interventions, EAS remained the most used intervention type in the Province. In total, 8,848 individuals (+10.2%) were employed after participating in an EBSM-similar intervention. Unpaid EI benefits advanced from $25.00 million to $26.37 million, a year-over-year increase of 5.5%. Total expenditures on EBSMs ($99.2 million) rose by 1.1% year-over-year. These expenditures include the Province's shares of the ongoing $1.95 billion in LMDA program funding ($88.9 million) and the $10.0 million as part of the total $250.0 million envelope in additional funding announced in Budget 2017.

New Brunswick only requested $1.1 million to support workers in seasonal industries in FY1920, of the $2.2 million made available.

Text description of Chart 13

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	13,895	12,076	10,459	9,365	9,070	8,596	10,411	11,386	11,302	10,387	10,716
Former clients	3,064	2,741	2,365	2,334	2,592	2,393	2,885	2,859	3,116	2,263	2,595
PPE										1,327	1,400
Non-insured clients	5,679	5,001	4,217	3,844	4,876	4,838	6,365	8,347	8,410	7,550	7,286

Text description of Chart 14

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	6,321	5,537	4,837	4,709	5,287	5,466	7,383	10,132	10,961	10,584	11,626
Core-age (25 to 54)	12,130	10,323	8,429	8,558	9,297	8,870	10,583	10,781	10,314	8,029	9,184
Older workers (55+)	1,432	1,271	1,086	1,199	1,257	1,116	1,427	1,475	1,304	1,094	1,038

Text description of Chart 15

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	9,367	10,193	9,017	8,015	7,927	7,471	8,179	8,300	8,800	8,031	8,848
Active claimants served	13,895	12,076	10,459	9,365	9,070	8,596	10,411	11,386	11,302	10,387	10,716
Total clients served	22,638	19,818	17,041	15,543	16,538	15,827	19,661	22,592	22,828	21,527	21,997
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$43.73	$41.33	$30.85	$27.65	$28.67	$27.25	$31.02	$30.01	$29.14	$25.00	$26.37

Table 10 – New Brunswick: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.5.3 Employment benefits

For a sixth consecutive year, New Brunswick delivered a growing number of Employment Benefit interventions, totaling 13,346 (+4.6%) in FY1920. With the exception of TWS (-412; -12.7%), all other benefit types increased: SE (+12; +4.8%), SD-R (+940; +13.0%) and SD-A (+42; +2.0%). Expenditures towards Employment benefits dropped by $4.8 million (-6.2%) to $73.3 million, mainly due to 16% decrease on spending toward Targeted Wage Subsidies.

3.2.5.4 Support measures: EAS

In FY1920, New Brunswick delivered 3,061 additional EAS interventions (+10.8%) over the previous fiscal year, for a total of 31,395. Both Employment Services (9,148) and Individual Counselling (22,247) advanced by 1.8% and 15.0%, respectively. The province's expenditures on EAS ($8.5 million) increased by about $800,000 (+10.6%).

In FY1920, New Brunswick spent $412,764 of the $1.1 million of additional targeted funding received in supports of workers in seasonal industries. The spending was divided between $277,064 under the Employment Assistance Services (EAS) program and $135,700 under Labour Market Partnerships for projects/strategies in support of human resource planning and dealing with labour market adjustments.

3.2.5.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

For a fourth consecutive year, expenditures on other support measures rose in New Brunswick, reaching $17.5 million (+41.1%) in FY1920. While expenditures on LMP continued to grow for the fourth consecutive year, those on R&I declined over the same period. In FY1920, New Brunswick spent $17.3 million (+43.7%) for LMP and about $100,000 (-64.3%) for R&I.

Quebec: EBSM Key Facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served :198,954

EI clients	Non-insured clients
147,844	51,110

Total interventions: 246,799

Interventions type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	32,485	2.2%
Support Measures: EAS	214,314	9.7%

Relative share of interventions

Interventions type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	13.2%	0.9
Support Measures: EAS	86.8%	0.9

Total allocation: $643.9 million*

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$356.00	6.6%
Support Measures: EAS	$141.80	3.2%
LMP and R&I	$139.50	18.4%
Total expenditures**	$637.40	6.5%

Estimated unpaid benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$293.92	$302.81	3.0%

• * Quebec invested $6.6 million of its total allocation towards administration costs, representing 10% of the Budget 2017 additional funding the Province received in FY1920.
• ** Totals may not add up due to rounding; does not include accounting adjustments.

In FY1920, Quebec's labour force grew to 4,542,500 (+1.4%). Consistent with previous fiscal years, employment increased (+67,700; +1.6%), from 4,236,200 to 4,303,800, primarily in full-time positions (+64,800; +1.9%). For a fourth consecutive year, the unemployment rate declined to 5.3% in FY1920, a marginal decrease of 0.2 percentage points.

Both the goods-producing sector (+28,700; +3.3%) and the services-producing sector (+39,000; +1.2%) contributed significantly to the increase in employment. Within the goods-producing sector, employment increased in construction (+22,200; +8.9%) and manufacturing (+10,500; +2.2%), while it contracted in utilities (-2,500; -9.2%). The services sector saw net gains in the transportation and warehousing (+19,500; +8.8%); finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing (+8,700; +3.7%); professional, scientific, and technical services (+12,400; +3.7%); education (+7,700; +2.6%); public administration (+5,400; +2. 2 percent); and, health care and social assistance (+17,000; +2.9%). However, this increase was partially offset by significant net losses in business, building and other support services (-20,300; -10.7%); and accommodation and food services (-17,600; -6.6%).

In its strategic plan for the 2019 to 2023 period, the Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MTESS) has identified the challenges facing the labour market. As in previous fiscal years, the Quebec labour market faced the following main challenges in FY1920:

• an aging population
• increased labour shortages, and
• a shift in the economy towards automation, digitization and information technology

To address these challenges, the Government of Quebec developed a set of priorities for FY1920 based on 4 strategic directions:

• support more businesses in adapting their human resource management practices to current labour market conditions
• integrate and maintain in employment the greatest possible number of people, notably through skills development, particularly for people from groups under-represented in the labour market, as well as social assistance clients, and
• ensure a good link between public employment services and their labour market partners, and between interventions with individuals and those with businesses

In January 2019, MTESS launched the La Grande Corvée initiative, which aims to proactively support businesses experiencing difficulties in filling job vacancies, to help them find a suitable solution, regardless of their economic sector. Through this, Quebec plans to support an increased number of businesses, in the context of labour shortages. One year after its launch, the ministry has had a positive assessment of the actions implemented to counter the labour shortages. The initiative reached more than 20,000 businesses, and more than 15,000 businesses have started an intervention, an increase of 30.8% from 1 year to the next. In addition, MTESS provided more than $170 million in investments to businesses, a 40.0% year-over-year increase.

MTESS has also continued to move towards more structural interventions aimed at under-represented groups. For example, providing experienced workers with a wage subsidy to maintain their labour market participation. These interventions are part of the La Grande Corvée 2.0 framework.

3.2.6.1 Managing for results

To ensure that it responds adequately and quickly to labour market needs, Quebec has a partnership structure that is unique in Canada. In terms of planning, la Commission des partenaires du marché du travail (CPMT), which brings together representatives of employers, unions, the educational sector and community organizations, works with the MTEES to guide public employment services to meet the needs of all partners. This collaboration takes the form of the development of a labour force and employment annual action plan. The management and delivery of public employment services are planned in a decentralized manner, for greater adaptation to the needs of regional labour markets and local clienteles. Thus, while respecting the major orientations of the Quebec action plan, the regional branches of Services Québec are autonomous in the use of employment services, the implementation of strategies and the management of their intervention budget. Consequently, their use may differ from one region to another, depending on the priorities and characteristics of the region. Throughout the Province, employment services are carried out according to a results-based management approach, that is, the Quebec action plan provides for annual targets for targeted results indicators, and the regional branches identify their contribution in their regional employment and labour force action plan. This management method makes it possible to carry out effective interventions and to assess the achievement of concrete results, particularly with regard to the return to employment after program participation.

Through MTESS, Quebec continues to build on its system of targeting, referral and feedback (TRF), which allows the Province to proactively reach out to EI applicants. Implemented jointly with the Government of Canada, and in use since 1999, the TRF system has proven so effective, that it is being implemented across all other provinces and territories.

Employment programming is carried out in partnership with organizations specialized in employability development and with organizations with an economic interest, to complement the activities of the Province's employment services, as well as to offer businesses and the population a variety of services according to their needs. Agreements with service provider partners include outcome targets. These organizations are also important in developing innovation to labour market programming in their service delivery.

3.2.6.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

For the fourth consecutive year, the total number of clients served in Quebec decreased to 198,954 (-7.4%) in FY1920. With the exception of the number of PPE, which increased by 1.6% to 17,524, the number of active EI claimants (107,330) and non-insured clients (51,110) decreased by 7.7% and 12.2%, respectively. The number of former EI claimants (22,990) remained almost unchanged (-0.1%). In terms of their proportion among all clients, only the shares of non-insured clients (25.7%) declined by 1.4 percentage points, while the proportion of other types of clients remained roughly stable from one year to the next. This result reflects the economic situation that prevailed in Quebec at the time, with a historically low unemployment rate and a very high number of job vacancies.

The total number of interventions delivered in Quebec fell for the third consecutive year, reaching 246,799 (-8.8%) in FY1920. At 86.8% of all interventions, EAS interventions remain the most commonly used type of intervention. The number of individuals returning to employment after participating in programming increased for the seventh consecutive year, totaling 75,735 (+3,200; +4.4%) in FY1920. This represents 144.8% of the provincial target (52,300). Unpaid benefits from the EI Operating Account increased by 3.0% year-over-year to $302.81 million.

In total, expenditures reached $643.9 million in FY1920, including $65.6 million in additional funding provided by Government of Canada, announced in Budget 2017. This also includes $14.6 million in additional targeted funding to Quebec to support workers in seasonal industries ($8.0 million), as well as those affected by U.S. tariffs in the steel and aluminum industries ($6.6 million).

The additional targeting funding towards workers in seasonal industries allowed for the implementation of a pilot project, which extends the hiring periods of seasonal workers in businesses through training; and provides income support to unemployed workers entering training for whom EI benefits had expired. These additional funds were also invested in existing measures through services publics d'emploi (SPE) du Québec.

Text description of Chart 16

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	138,274	130,782	121,089	119,771	147,396	140,026	146,359	138,682	127,614	116,261	107,330
Former clients	24,970	23,288	25,099	25,081	26,779	24,986	26,946	26,945	32,965	23,005	22,990
PPE										17,248	17,524
Non-insured clients	42,167	37,859	47,049	54,519	63,162	64,769	79,814	84,716	79,764	58,228	51,110

Text description of Chart 17

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	26,342	22,385	25,408	28,285	31,409	32,259	45,785	45,401	41,586	36,203	32,443
Core-age (25 to 54)	119,448	102,720	109,185	117,427	133,491	134,939	146,872	150,680	145,805	129,383	121,304
Older workers (55+)	16,728	16,279	18,669	20,752	26,454	30,334	32,370	35,539	36,706	37,886	37,259

Text description of Chart 18

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	53,081	54,239	52,872	49,757	55,043	59,949	64,697	66,502	68,794	74,535	75,735
Active claimants served	138,274	130,782	121,089	119,771	147,396	140,026	146,359	138,682	127,614	116,261	107,330
Total clients served	205,411	191,929	193,237	199,371	237,337	229,781	253,119	250,343	240,343	214,742	198,954
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$285.80	$307.80	$219.42	$230.49	$252.38	$290.84	$332.31	$334.28	$327.62	$293.92	$302.81

Table 11 – Québec – EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.6.3 Employment Benefits

In Quebec, the number of Employment Benefit interventions declined by 2.2% (-725) year-over-year to 32,485 in FY1920. With the exception of SD-R (-1,238; -5.3%), all other types of interventions increased: TWS (+436; +5.3%), and Self-Employment (+77; +4.7%). In total, Quebec invested $356.0 million (+6.6%) in Employment Benefits.

In FY1920, Quebec received an additional $14.6 million to support workers in the steel and aluminum industries affected by the trade dispute and for workers and businesses in seasonal industries. Funding for workforce training initiatives ($7.2 million) has enabled targeted workers to acquire relevant skills and thus meet the constantly changing needs of their employers. In addition, human resource management support initiatives for businesses helped them address workforce challenges ($3.2 million). Finally, by encouraging employers to hire people at risk of long-term unemployment, the wage subsidy investment ($2.2 million) helped stimulate employment and work experience.

3.2.6.4 Support measures: EAS

For the third consecutive year, the total number of EAS interventions contracted, totaling 214,314 in FY1920, a 9.7% (-23,059) year-over-year reduction. As in the previous fiscal year, all types of EAS interventions declined. Employment Services (177,382), Group Services (10,314), and Individual Counseling (26,618) declined by 3.9% (-7,226), 26.0% (-3,615), and 31.5% (-12,218), respectively. EAS expenditures of $141.8 million decreased by 3.2%. One of the reasons for expenditure decline is the increasing use of costlier Employment Benefits to support clients who are further away from employment and the labour market.

3.2.6.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

Quebec's total expenditures on LMP and R&I increased by 18.4% to $139.5 million in FY1920. LMP ($134.5 million) and R&I ($5.0 million) increased by 18.7% and 11.2%, respectively. These increases are attributable to the fact that Quebec has paid particular attention to supporting businesses in a context of labour shortages. The Grande Corvée is a concrete illustration of this. As part of this initiative, training measures allow employers to support their workers who do not have all the necessary skills to hold their position. A portion of certain costs are reimbursed, whether for the purchase of training or for the workers' salary, for example. With this measure, Quebec is encouraging companies to increase their productivity through training. Under R&I, Quebec has also launched innovation projects to evolve its labour market programming to reflect the needs of the current labour market.

Workforce Development Action Plan

Following commitments made in the 2019 Ontario Budget, the 2019 Fall Economic Statement confirmed that the government would continue its review of current training support programs to better match unemployed or underemployed people with available jobs. This would include making changes to Second Career and other skills training programs, to ensure they are helping job seekers get the skills they need to find work.

On March 9, 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of many workplaces, Ontario announced its intention to develop a Workforce Development Action Plan, as part of its commitment to prepare people for jobs.

Ontario has committed to reviewing the current workforce development and training system, as well as to developing an Action Plan to modernize workforce development and training levers. This should improve outcomes for workers, businesses and, ultimately, Ontario's economy, contributing to the broader economic recovery and longer-term competitiveness of the Province.

3.2.7.1 Managing for results

3.2.7.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

After 4 consecutive years of growth, the total number of clients served in Ontario declined in FY1920, totalling 197,512 (-8,194; -4.0%). While active claimants (51,739), PPE (24,302) and non-insured clients (94,111) contracted by 2.8%, 3.7%, and 6.5%, respectively, former claimants (27,360) advanced by 2.8% (+734). Compared to FY1819, the proportion of former claimants edged up by 1.0 percentage point to 13.9%, whereas that of non-insured dropped by 1.3 percentage point to 47.6%. The shares of other client types remained somewhat stable.

Compared to the previous fiscal year, the Province delivered 10,829 fewer interventions, for a total of 221,249 (-4.7%) in FY1920. Consistent with FY1819, EAS remained the most used intervention type, with a share of 87.6% (+1.3%) of all interventions. A total number of 46,864 (-536; -1.1%) insured clients returned to employment after participating in an EBSM-similar intervention, surpassing Ontario's fiscal year target of 40,000 individuals returning to work. Unpaid EI benefits dropped by 5.5% to $250.5 million.

Ontario's total expenditures amounted to $666.0 million (+0.6%). This sum includes $81.1 million received by the Province from the $250.0 million in additional LMDA funding announced in Budget 2017, of which 10% was used for administration costs per flexibility in the LMDA for FY1920, to support Information and Information Technology (I&IT) costs related to the implementation of the new Performance Measurement Strategy developed with the Government of Canada. The Province also received additional targeted funding to support workers in seasonal industries ($3.5 million), as well as those affected by the U.S. trade dispute in the steel and aluminium industries ($12.0 million).

The use of the additional targeted funding

In FY1920, Ontario invested over $15.5 million of LMDA funding in programs such as Adjustment Advisory Program, SkillsAdvance Ontario and Pre-Apprenticeship, to support workers in seasonal industries and those workers affected by the steel and aluminum trade dispute. The funding involved 24 projects, assisted more than 500 employers, and served over 2,000 clients.

Text description of Chart 19

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	118,782	70,901	63,780	66,748	64,689	63,061	60,489	62,339	56,484	53,221	51,739
Former clients	21,693	28,703	22,074	20,707	20,145	19,734	18,611	24,796	29,702	26,626	27,360
PPE										25228	24,302
Non-insured clients	27,682	92,788	46,170	66,703	74,533	71,278	82,458	103,402	106,483	100,631	94,111

Text description of Chart 20

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	15,380	14,227	21,203	27,407	31,648	30,738	33,271	37,909	42,131	52,061	42,134
Core-age (25 to 54)	116,697	72,003	82,505	95,367	96,636	91,792	95,902	116,420	114,077	124,276	126,548
Older workers (55+)	14,193	9,623	11,847	14,848	15,477	15,687	16,775	20,205	21,344	22,681	23,123

Text description of Chart 21

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1920	FY1920
Returns to employment	58,333	73,855	33,347	36,111	36,018	36,166	35,625	37,044	39,678	47,400	46,864
Active claimants served	118,782	70,901	63,780	66,748	64,689	63,061	60,489	62,339	56,484	53,221	51,739
Total clients served	168,157	192,392	132,024	154,158	159,367	154,073	161,558	190,537	192,669	205,706	197,512
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$408.52	$315.75	$221.48	$227.71	$237.59	$240.22	$236.05	$262.66	$233.15	$265.22	$250.51

Table 12 – Ontario: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Table 12A – Ontario: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

Employment Benefits	Program name	Interventions	Year-over-year change	Expenditures ($ 000s)
SD-R	Second Career, Literacy and Basic Skills	8,932	-6.10%	164,418
SD-A	Skills Development–Apprenticeship	18,396	-1.60%
TWS	Job Placement with Incentive	0	-100.00%	0
SE	Ontario Self-Employment Benefit	0	n/a	0
JCP	Ontario Job Creation Partnerships	114	0.90%	1,642

Table 12B – Ontario: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

Support Measures	Program name	Interventions	Year-over-year change	Expenditures ($ 000s)
EAS	Ontario Employment Assistance Services/ Employment Service	193,757	-3.30%	315,611
LMP	Ontario Labour Market Partnerships	n/a	n/a	80,350
R&I	Research and Innovation	n/a	n/a	95,858

3.2.7.3 Employment benefits

In FY1920, Ontario delivered 27,492 Employment Benefits, which was 4,199 (-13.2%) fewer interventions than in FY1819, mainly due to TWS no longer being delivered. Declines occurred in TWS (-3,322; -100.0%), SD-R (-582; -6.1%), and SD-A (-296; -1.6%), while JCP (+1; +0.9%) remained stable. For a fourth consecutive year, SE was not delivered in the Province. Expenditures towards Employment Benefits amounted to $166.1 million (-7.4%).

3.2.7.4 Support measures: EAS

After 4 consecutives years of growth, EAS interventions in FY1920 dropped by 3.3% (-6,630) to 193,757. As was the case in previous fiscal years, Individual Counselling remained the only type of interventions delivered under EAS. The Province spent a total of $315.6 million (-2.3%) on EAS.

3.2.7.5 Other support measures

In FY1920, total funding towards LMP and R&I amounted to $176.2 million, a 10.4% increase year-over-year. This represents a sixth consecutive year of growth. Expenditures on LMP totalled $80.4 million (-11.5%), R&I's funding increased by 39.3%, to $95.9 million.

In FY1920, Ontario continued to provide the Canada-Ontario Job Grant as Employer-Sponsored Training, under the Labour Market Partnerships component.

Aggregate employer information (employers by size):

• Employers:
  • Small (50 0r fewer)
  • Medium (51 to 499)
  • Large (500 or more)
• Organizations: 22

There were no R&I projects concluding in FY1920. However, the following R&I projects funded in FY1920 will be continuing into FY2021 and FY2122, with funding accrued from FY1920:

• Career Ready Fund, and
• Skills Catalyst Fund

These projects were scheduled to end during the fiscal year. However, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, activities have been extended. Ontario will provide the results/lessons learned from these projects in future editions of this report.

Ontario previously funded LinkedIn Learning (formerly known as Lynda.com) under the LMDA in FY1718 and FY1819. In FY1920, the last year of the project, it was funded under the Workforce Development Agreement.

Manitoba: EBSM Key Facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 25,156

Insured clients	Non-insured clients
14,166	10,990

Total interventions: 105,757

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	14,923	117.30%
Support Measures: EAS	90,834	68.10%

Relative Share of Interventions

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	14.10%	2.8
Support Measures: EAS	85.90%	2.8

Total allocation: $51.7 million

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$34.30	4.80%
Support Measures: EAS	$10.10	0.50%
LMP and R&I	$7.30	4.50%
Total expenditures*	$51.70	3.90%

Unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$42.17	$42.25	0.20%

• * Totals may not add up due to rounding; does not include accounting adjustments.

In FY1920, employment (654,700) in Manitoba remained relatively stable (+1,900; +0.3%), while the unemployment rate dropped, from 5.8% to 5.4%, year-over-year. In the goods-producing sector (+800; +0.5%), net gains in construction (+1,800; +3.8%), and in manufacturing (+500; +0.7%) were partly counterbalanced by net losses in forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas (-1,100; -16.2%); utilities (-200; -3.4%); and, agriculture (-100; -0.5%). On the other hand, the services-producing sector (502,300) created 1,100 (+0.2%) net jobs year-over-year. Most jobs occurred in following industries: trade (+2,200; +2.5%); transportation and warehousing (+600; +1.6%); professional, scientific and technical services (+400; +1.4%); business, building and other support services (+400; +1.9%); educational services (+800; +1.6%); and public administration (+800; +2.3%). However, significant jobs losses on a net basis were recorded in information, culture and recreation (-1,100; -4.7%); finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (-800; -2.4%); other services (-1,700; -5.7%); and accommodation and food services (-700; -1.6%).

Manitoba's labour market context continued to focus on engaging those who are not participating in the labour force, increasing the skills of the current and future workforce, improving outcomes for those who continue to face barriers to participation, through targeted and innovative approaches, and assisting individuals to effectively transition to employment. During consultations, employers identified the need for more workers across a broad range of skills sets.

3.2.8.1 Managing for results

In FY1920, the Province continued to deliver programs and services to clients in urban, rural and northern communities that support labour market integration and advancement, as well as individuals to pursue post-secondary and labour market training leading to employment.

Manitoba engages with community stakeholders such as employers, business organizations, service providers, educational institutions and individuals to develop programs and services that address local labour market needs.

Manitoba has made enhancements to reporting and data collection processes to improve the breadth and detail of data collected, in order to get better information about programs and services.

3.2.8.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

After 4 consecutive years of decline, the total number of clients served in Manitoba increased to 25,156 (+4.5%) in FY1920. With the exception of the active claimant count (7,801), which dropped by 7.7%, all other client-types advanced, with former claimants (3,352), PPE (3,013), and non-insured clients (10,990) rising by 8.7%, 19.7% and 9.7%, respectively. As for their shares of LMDA clients, active claimants (31.0%) decreased by 4.1 percentage points, while former claimants (13.3%), PPE (12.0%) and non-insured clients (43.7%) expanded, respectively, by 0.5, 1.5 and 2.1 percentage points.

In FY1920, Manitoba's total number of intervention rose by 73.6% (+44,848) to 105,757. At 85.9%, EAS remained the most used intervention-type. The number of insured clients who returned to work after participating in an EBSM-similar program rose by 40.5% to 6,279. Unpaid EI benefits ($42.25 million) remained relatively stable (+0.2%) year-over-year.

Manitoba's total expenditures on EBSMs increased by about $2.0 million (+3.9%) to $51.7 million in FY1920. These expenditures comprised the Province's shares of the ongoing $1.95 billion LMDA program funding ($43.1 million) and of the $250.0 million in additional funding announced in Budget 2017 ($7.7 million). On top of these expenditures, $0.9 million was made available to the Province under the additional targeted funding measures to support workers in seasonal industries and those affected by trade disputes in the steel and aluminum industries, which the Province did not access.

In FY1920, the additional funding provided under Budget 2017 supported a new program focused on addressing the language and employment needs of immigrants and newcomers in Manitoba. The program provides access for Manitobans to language training that supports labour market integration or advancement and/or training, leading to meaningful employment.

An expansion of the Futures Forward program increased support and access to employment services and resources designed to address the needs of youth currently in or transitioning out of care and into training opportunities, as well as sustainable employment. The project aims to improve labour market participation rates of youth currently or previously involved in the child welfare system.

Manitoba provided additional targeted funding to the Communities Economic Development Fund, to support workers in seasonal industries through the following 4 program areas: non-timber forest product training in northern communities, Wilderness Safety Training, Community Based Experiential Tourism Training and Fisher Helpers Training. The seasonal worker programs were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, programs had to be put on hold or amended.

Manitoba provided funding to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), to deliver training tailored to address specific needs of the Steel and Aluminum sub-sector. CME exceeded its targets and were able to support organizations to receive training, improving critical skills and capacity for leaders in the industry.

In addition, Manitoba supported Manitoba Construction Sector Council, to build on the Steel Fitters training program and to target displaced employees, as well as to move them into employment by upgrading their skills. The project also engaged companies in a needs assessment.

Text description of Chart 22

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	16,204	15,110	11,834	11,744	10,988	9,996	10,132	9,941	8,792	8,453	7,801
Former clients	3,496	3,875	3,775	3,844	3,579	3,672	3,292	3,011	3,729	3,085	3,352
PPE										2,518	3,013
Non-insured clients	12,546	14,153	13,704	13,369	13,540	15,174	14,056	12,963	12,279	10,022	10,990

Text description of Chart 23

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	5,899	6,219	5,320	5,491	5,264	5,632	5,217	4,851	4,541	4,454	6,347
Core-age (25 to 54)	19,760	20,562	18,122	17,206	16,519	16,828	15,885	14,901	14,314	14,634	16,738
Older workers (55+)	2,065	2,092	1,862	2,098	1,943	1,830	1,798	1,726	1,803	1,798	2,016

Text description of Chart 24

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	10,043	9,950	8,714	8,056	7,526	7,156	6,957	6,565	4,505	4,470	6,279
Active claimants served	16,204	15,110	11,834	11,744	10,988	9,996	10,132	9,941	8,792	8,453	7,801
Total clients served	32,246	33,138	29,313	28,957	28,107	28,842	27,480	25,915	24,800	24,078	25,156
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$68.03	$63.38	$40.97	$43.51	$44.28	$43.09	$44.14	$46.59	$41.31	$42.17	$42.25

Table 13 – Manitoba: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.8.3 Employment benefits

Employment Benefit interventions rose significantly, from 6,866 in FY1819 to 14,923 in FY1920, representing an increase of 117.3% (+8,057) year-over-year. While SD-A (-158; -4.0%) dropped, all other intervention types advanced: TWS (+7; 22.6%), SE (+769; +926.5%), JCP (+2,512; +1,046.7%) and SD-R (+4,927; 195.9%). Expenditures on Employment Benefits increased by $1.6 million (+4.8%) in FY1920 over FY1819, reaching $34.3 million.

3.2.8.4 Support measures: EAS

In FY1920, EAS interventions in Manitoba increased by 68.1% to 90,834. Both Employment Services (54,173) and Individual Counselling (36,661) expanded by 54.8% (+19,179) and 92.5% (+17,612), respectively. Manitoba spent $10.1 million on EAS, an increase of 0.5% over FY1819.

3.2.8.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

Expenditures on R&I ($1.0 million) were $0.2 million lower (-19.1%) than in FY1819, while spending on LMP ($6.2 million) increased by about $565K (+10%).

Below are the results/lessons learned for any research and innovation projects that concluded in FY1920.

• Blueprint Analytics Design and Evaluation − Blueprint was contracted to help develop complex components of Manitoba's employment services transformation, to improve service access for Manitoba job seekers, improve labour market outcomes for job seekers & employers, and increase effectiveness as well as efficiency in service delivery
• Canadian Mental Health Association − The Wellness Skills Support pilot program focused on improving readiness of Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) clients prior to program start, as well as to support wellness of learners as they progress towards achieving their academic and employability goals. The project worked with clients to improve resilience, by identifying as well as addressing individual client needs and barriers in their education and/or employment pursuits
• Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology – This pilot project was developed to provide on-site support, develop learning activities, counselling and guidance, provide teachings to students outside of regular classroom hours, as well as to offer further opportunities to connect with Indigenous culture and knowledge. The program created a holistic learning environment for learner's success
• Skills Canada Manitoba − Promoted apprenticeship training options, careers in the skilled trades and participation in skills competitions. The project also recognized outstanding employers and apprentices. It also enhanced knowledge of skilled trades in Manitoba

Saskatchewan: EBSM Key Facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 22,009

Insured clients	Non-insured clients
20,586	1,423

Total Interventions: 32,270

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	21,418	6.80%
Support Measures: EAS	10,852	15.20%

Relative Share of Interventions

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	66.40%	2.2
Support Measures: EAS	33.60%	2.2

Total allocation: $45.1 million

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$31.50	3.90%
Support Measures: EAS	$10.50	3.80%
LMP and R&I	$4.30	133.40%
Total expenditures*	$46.30	7.60%

Unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$49.07	$48.25	1.70%

• * Totals may not add up due to rounding; does not include accounting adjustments.

In FY1920, Saskatchewan created 8,000 (+1.4%) more jobs than in the previous fiscal year on a net basis. Employment in both full-time (+4,500; +1.0%) and part-time (+3,500; +3.4%) positions contributed to this performance. The unemployment rate (5.9%) slightly dropped (-0.2 percentage point).

Most positions were created in the services-producing sector (+9,100; +2.2%), mainly in health care and social assistance (+1,000; +1.3%); public administration (+1,400; +4.8%); professional, scientific and technical services (+1,400; +5.3%); educational services (+2,100; +4.8%); information, culture and recreation (+2,000; +10.3%); accommodation and food services (+2,200; +5.8%); and in other services (+2,700; +10.7%). However, trade (-2,500; -2.9%), as well as transportation and warehousing (-2,000; -7.1%), contracted.

Saskatchewan's goods-producing sector (-1,100; -0.8%) weakened year-over-year, mainly in forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas (-1,200; -5.0%); utilities (-1,100; -15.2%); and in construction (-3,200; -6.7%). Gains were registered in agriculture (+900; +2.4%) and manufacturing (+3,400; +12.4%).

Saskatchewan through the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training (ICT) delivers a range of programs and services supported by the Canada-Saskatchewan Labour Market Development Agreement. ICT helps individuals prepare for, obtain and maintain employment, and leads activities required to assist employers with the development, recruitment and retention of workers. ICT has 3 overarching labour market priorities: align skills training investments with economic needs to support the development of a skilled workforce; attract skilled workers to Saskatchewan's workforce; and retain skilled workers in the Province.

More specifically, Saskatchewan focused on the following initiatives to address labour market challenges, including:

• investing in skills training opportunities that are responsive to the needs of employers
• increasing employer-sponsored training to support the retention of workers as well as their career growth and productivity
• working with employers and community partners to improve the employment rate of groups who are under-represented in the workforce
• investing in programs and services to prepare entrepreneurs and workers for the Saskatchewan economy, as well as for the changing nature of work
• working with provincial public service and third party delivery partners, to develop supports and resources for transitions between education, training and employment, and,
• attracting skilled workers to Saskatchewan, through national and international recruitment activities

3.2.9.1 Managing for results

Saskatchewan regularly engages and consults with clients, stakeholders and government partners to determine priorities, and consider program design and service delivery improvements.

In FY1920, ICT facilitated 53 employer outreach sessions with 1,061 participants to promote labour market programs and services. ICT also held 20 labour market service sessions that engaged over 260 people and 143 stakeholder organizations. These sessions helped ICT to better identify provincial labour market needs.

ICT delivers labour market services through a regional system, which helps build relationships throughout the Province and in communities. This model helps staff stay informed on regional layoffs, recruitment challenges, and specific education and employment barriers. Staff hold regular meetings with employers and training sector representatives to identify and address workforce needs. This ongoing engagement is part of a shared commitment to build an agile and responsive training system that anticipates current and future labour demand.

Through these partnerships, ICT continued the delivery of several recently started projects:

• Targeted Initiatives for Older Workers, to increase the employability of older workers. In FY1920, ICT worked with 7 service providers and signed 6 agreements
• Career Bridging program, to help unemployed individuals connect to the labour force. Most participants are from under-represented groups
• The Training Voucher Pilot, which provide funding assistance to support participation in skills training for laid off workers

Saskatchewan is also focusing on ensuring up-to-date information technology infrastructure to enhance services to residents and businesses. The Modernization Agreements, Programs and Services (MAPS) is aimed to improve the delivery of programs and services across the ministry, by updating technology, data and legislation.

In FY1920, ICT continued implementation of the Targeting, Referral and Feedback (TRF) Pilot. In the course of TRF implementation, ICT determined criteria data sets to engage specific Employment Insurance (EI) applicants (NOC and regions). Individuals who met the criteria when applying for EI were then referred to ICT. Ministry staff engaged with these applicants in career planning, guiding them to relevant job opportunities or provincially-delivered programs and services. ICT fully implemented the TRF system in April 2020.

3.2.9.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

In FY1920, Saskatchewan served a total number of 22,009 clients (-3,198; -12.7%), which reflected a slight drop compared to FY1819, while demonstrating higher numbers in comparison to the previous 5 consecutive years. While former claimants (6,187) increased by 2.1% (+129), all other client type counts dropped: active claimants (7,799), PPE (6,600) and non-insured clients (1,423) all fell, by 11.9% (-1,051), 15.1% (-1,172), and 43.7% (-1,104), respectively. With respect to their proportion relative to the total number of clients, former claimants (28.1%) advanced by 4.1 percentage points; non-insured clients (6.5%) dropped by 3.5 percentage points; whereas active claimants (35.4%) and PPE (30.0%) have both remained somewhat stable.

After 4 consecutive years of growth, the total number of interventions dropped in FY1920, by 9.8% (-3,496) to 32,270. Despite the drop in total number of interventions compared to FY 1819, the results still demonstrate a higher number of interventions in comparison to those of the 3 years before FY1819. In FY1920, due to a change in categorization, Saskatchewan reported aggregate Canada Saskatchewan Job Grant (CSJG) program data under the Labour Market Partnership sub-category. Saskatchewan issued 1,011 job grants to 693 unique employers, and served 2,200 individual clients.

Employment Benefits remained the most used intervention type, with a share of 66.4%, a year-over-year increase of 2.2 percentage points. After participating in an EBSM-similar program, a total of 8,127 (+57.9%) individuals obtained employment. Unpaid EI benefit ($48.25) decreased by 1.7% year-over-year. Expenditures for EBSM-similar programming expanded from $43.0 million to $46.3 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 7.6%. This included $7.2 million received by the Province in FY1920, as part of the $250.0 million in additional LMDA funding from Budget 2017. This also included the Province's shares of the additional targeted funding to help workers in seasonal industries ($400,000), and to support workers affected by trade disputes with the US in the steel and aluminium industries ($700,000).

Text description of Chart 25

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	11,406	10,414	10,624	10,161	10,308	10,503	11,362	11,542	9,442	8,850	7,799
Former clients	2,663	2,471	3,268	2,788	2,687	2,565	2,667	2,742	4,156	6,058	6,187
PPE										7,772	6,600
Non-insured clients	640	577	870	748	798	813	799	1,040	5,035	2,527	1,423

Text description of Chart 26

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	1,530	1,287	1,329	1,058	946	968	1,124	1,085	3,044	7,902	3,953
Core-age (25 to 54)	6,987	5,816	6,664	5,835	5,574	5,743	6,755	6,890	8,758	15,957	15,796
Older workers (55+)	557	502	605	562	627	657	772	775	782	1,034	2,159

Text description of Chart 27

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	6,432	6,692	6,083	5,784	6,038	6,038	6,204	6,716	4,879	5,148	8,127
Active claimants served	11,406	10,414	10,624	10,161	10,308	10,503	11,362	11,542	9,442	8,850	7,799
Total clients served	14,709	13,462	14,762	13,697	13,793	13,881	14,828	15,324	18,633	25,207	22,009
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$64.70	$64.15	$54.13	$55.56	$60.81	$61.60	$61.55	$74.73	$50.38	$49.07	$48.25

Table 14 – Saskatchewan: EBSM-Similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.9.3 Employment benefits

In FY1920, Saskatchewan delivered 1,557 (-6.8%) fewer interventions than in the previous fiscal year, for a total of 21,418. Declines in SE (-67; -100.0%), SD-R (-352; -2.2%) and SD-A (-1,138; -16.0%) resulted in this contraction. In FY1920, Saskatchewan re-categorized Self-Employment Services under the Support Measures category. This change in categorization caused a 100% decrease of SE interventions in the Employment Benefits category, and contributed to 192% increase in Counselling Services that falls within the Support Measures Category. In addition, a combination of collateral factors, such as changes to income support programming and Provincial Training Allowance (PTA) program underutilization might have contributed to a 2.2% decrease in SD-R interventions. The provincial apprenticeship system closely follows the economic and labour market cycles in Saskatchewan. Slowdown in the provincial construction market potentially contributed to lower demand for skills training programming, that is reflected in a 16% decrease in SD-A interventions. Employment Benefit expenditures increased by 3.9%, to a total of $31.5 million.

3.2.9.4 Support measures (EAS)

In Saskatchewan, total EAS interventions shrank from 12,791 (FY1819) to 10,852 (FY1920), a decline of 15.2% year-over-year. This decrease resulted from the change in Saskatchewan's program categorization process, as part of an alignment with the new Canada-Saskatchewan performance measurement strategy. Individual Counselling interventions experienced a 94.9% (+5,282) jump year-over-year, while Group Services (-293; -97.7%) dropped. Compared to FY1819, EAS expenditures dropped from $10.9 million to $10.5 million (-3.8%).

3.2.9.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

In FY1920, Saskatchewan's total LMP and R&I expenditures ($4.3 million) jumped by 133.4%. While LMP expenditures ($4.2 million) advanced by 198.5%, those of R&I ($138,000) contracted by 69.4%. Saskatchewan's R&I activities included a follow-up survey of clients in labour market programs, predictive analytics to inform policy and program improvements, labour market intelligence projects, career development training, as well as innovative approaches to client outreach and service delivery. Additionally, ICT conducted a follow-up survey of labour market program clients to obtain a fulsome picture of program outcomes. For the survey, Saskatchewan contracted a third party to contact program participants at 3 and twelve months following program completion or program exit.

Saskatchewan is in the process of implementing an enhanced Client Service Delivery model that is aimed to strengthen career development and build durable employment, as well as career pathways for clients. In particular, this new model helps clients develop detailed career plans that build on their individual strengths, goals and employment readiness.

Alberta: EBSM Key Facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 76,910

Insured clients	Non-insured clients
49,024	27,886

Total interventions: 119,498

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	20,226	11.50%
Support Measures: EAS	99,272	29.40%

Relative share of interventions

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	16.90%	5.5
Support Measures: EAS	83.10%	5.5

Total allocation: $164.6 million

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$106.30	15.10%
Support Measures: EAS	$55.00	2.90%
LMP and R&I	$3.30	34.30%
Total expenditures*	$164.60	6.90%

Unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$205.88	$195.73	4.90%

* Totals may not add up due to rounding and does not include accounting adjustments.

Despite the downturn in Alberta's economy in 2019, the provincial employment (2,268,500) remained relatively stable (+900; +0.04%) in FY1920. Gains in part-time positions (+3,200; +0.8%) were somewhat compensated by losses in full-time positions (-2,300; -0.1%). The unemployment rate increased from 6.8% to 7.3%, as a result of a larger number of unemployed workers (+8.1% increase compared to FY1819) in the Province.

Weak employment resulted from the decline in the goods-producing sector (-11,600; -2.0%), namely in forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas (-11,200; -7.5%); and in construction (-7,900; -3.3%). However, utilities (+600; +2.7%), agriculture (+2,000; +4.3%) and manufacturing (+4,900; +3.7%) expanded significantly. As for the services-producing sector (+12,600; +0.7%), it increased from 1,679,400 to 1,692,000, mostly in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (+600; +0.6%); professional, scientific and technical services (+5,900; +3.4%); educational services (+3,700; +2.4%); and health care and social assistance (+16,000; +5.9%). However, some industries in the services sector have weakened: transportation and warehousing (-1,600; -1.2%); business, building and other support services (-7,700; -9.1%); accommodation and food services (-1,500; -1.0%); and other services (-5,400; -4.8%).

In FY1920, Alberta worked closely with key stakeholders (Indigenous communities and organizations, Francophone communities, immigrants and persons with disabilities) to identify regional needs for programs and services, and to exchange information about the labour market. As a result, Alberta's labour market priorities were focussed on training for highly multi-barriered individuals, improving skills development, particularly in the growing information and communications technology sector, increasing Indigenous labour market participation, serving other under-represented groups such as persons with disabilities and newcomers. Furthermore, Alberta continued to expand the Targeting, Referral and Feedback (TRF) system, by on-boarding service providers in new and existing regions, to connect more EI applicants to services and programs and supported their return to work.

3.2.10.1 Managing for results

The public health order in response to the COVID-19 crisis, on March 16, 2020, shut down all face-to-face training and employment services in Alberta. Most of the training providers and service delivery agents in all ministries moved quickly to alternative delivery formats. Some programs were postponed or were unable to transition because of technology, internet access or clients' personal learning styles. The effectiveness of on-line delivery for some programs, such a, English as a Second Language, is still uncertain. COVID-19 did not impact learner enrollments in FY1920 since most programs were already underway. The full impact of COVID-19 is expected to have occurred in FY2021. As of October 30, 2020, Advanced Education (AE) saw enrolment drop by 23% compared to the same time last year.

In the 2019/2020 academic year, there were 25,241 apprentices registered in the post-secondary system. The cancellation of classroom instruction and new intakes in March 2020 affected 8,500 apprentices. Those who started before March 2, 2020 worked with their institutions to complete programs and assessments through distance learning options. Those who completed their program with good academic results were not required to take provincial examinations (theory or practical).

The Apprentice Training Award, a financial award for registered apprentices who are unemployed but attending classroom education, invested $1.8 million for over 1,600 recipients in 2019/2020. With increasing EI claimant numbers expected in FY2021, AE increased the award to $1,500, to support up to 3,300 students.

In July 2019, the apprenticeship funding per intervention was increased, from $3,000 to $5,000. The increase acknowledges inflationary cost increases for the program.

Career and employment information, assessments, service plan development, work experience placements and group workshops, provided by Community and Social Services (CSS), were paused or moved to online, mail and telephone delivery options where possible, in response to the pandemic.

Some contractors found creative ways of providing services, such as delivering job search packages to clients' doorsteps, arranging virtual interviews with employers, holding outdoor workshops or offering employment services through online meeting platforms.

Demand for employment services dropped off because referrals for job placements, career workshops and programs for persons with disabilities decreased, and many unemployed people were not seeking employment because they were home with children or accessing EI or CERB benefits.

Labour and Immigration (L&I) introduced targeted training and employment services for workers aged 55 and older, immigrants and women in non-traditional occupations (trades), as well as sector-targeted services, including technology and supply chain training. Transition to Employment Services (TES) expanded self-employment training, to increase rural participation through on-line delivery. L&I collaborated with CSS on a pilot project to get Albertans on Income Support into employment, through a Workplace Training/Career and Employment Information Services hybrid program.

Use of the Targeting, Referral and Feedback (TRF) application is steadily growing. It allows contracted service providers to contact EI applicants early in their claim to help them return to work. Service providers sort EI applicants by specific criteria (for example, last occupation, number of months tenure at the most recent job, level of education and/or age), in order to match them to available Transition to Employment Services, Workplace Training (Targeted Wage Subsidy) programs and some Integrated Training and Self Employment training programs.

In FY1920, TRF received 12,412 client files (of EI applicants), a 90% increase over FY1819; service providers made 12,501 attempts to contact clients (a 113% increase over FY1819), and had 5,025 interactions with clients to connect them to a suitable program or service (a 174% increase over FY1819).

3.2.10.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

For a fourth consecutive year, the total number of clients served in Alberta decreased, amounting to 76,910, a year-over-year decline of 7.6%. With the exception of former claimants (13,704) which advanced by 5.1%, all other client types declined, with active claimants (27,561), premiums paid eligible (PPE) clients (7,759), and non-insured clients (27,886) dropping by 9.2%, 7.5%, and 11.4%, respectively. Compared to the previous fiscal year, the shares of former claimants (17.8%) increased by 2.1 percentage points, whereas that of non-insured clients (36.3%) dropped by 1.5 percentage points. The shares of active claimants (35.8%) and PPEs (10.1%) remained somewhat stable.

In FY1920, Alberta delivered a total of 119,498 interventions, a 24.8% decline year-over-year, and the fourth consecutive year where interventions dropped in the Province. EAS interventions represented 83.1% (-5.5 percentage points) of all interventions, and Employment Benefits made up 16.9% (+5.5 percentage points) of the total. The number of individuals employed after participating in EBSM-similar programming fell by 3.1% to 18,094, and unpaid EI benefits declined 4.9% year-over-year, reaching $195.73 million dollars. Total LMDA expenditures grew by 6.9% to $164.6 million. This included $29.7 million as part of a $250.0 million envelope in additional LMDA funding, announced in Budget 2017.

Apart from Alberta's annual expenditures, the Province did not access any of the $2.2 million made available by the Government of Canada, under the additional targeted funding measures to support workers in seasonal industries and those affected by trade disputes in the steel and aluminum industries.

Text description of Chart 28

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	61,503	48,917	41,394	39,823	42,472	43,398	51,694	49,720	35,101	30,363	27,561
Former clients	18,168	22,683	20,966	18,234	16,819	15,820	16,213	14,087	15,856	13,036	13,704
PPE										8,388	7,759
Non-insured clients	76,097	72,284	65,098	62,404	63,516	60,344	60,191	54,258	38,909	31,484	27,886

Text description of Chart 29

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	32,150	30,937	26,419	23,368	22,398	20,752	19,931	18,010	14,010	12,940	12,695
Core-age (25 to 54)	88,918	83,924	74,821	70,296	72,087	68,930	73,572	66,665	48,749	42,996	44,008
Older workers (55+)	9,519	10,077	9,980	9,467	10,204	10,157	11,755	11,212	8,766	8,036	7,339

Text description of chart 30

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	31,341	29,890	25,776	23,686	25,092	25,745	26,525	29,671	18,726	18,669	18,094
Active claimants served	61,503	48,917	41,394	39,823	42,472	43,398	51,694	49,720	35,101	30,363	27,561
Total clients served	155,768	143,884	127,458	120,461	122,807	119,562	128,098	118,065	89,866	83,271	76,910
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$347.95	$329.59	$223.61	$219.63	$249.34	$266.98	$267.88	$384.91	$233.42	$205.88	$195.73

Table 15 – Alberta: EBSM-Similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.10.3 Employment benefits

After 3 consecutive years of decline, the total number of Employment Benefit interventions increased in FY1920, reaching 20,226 (+2,094; +11.5%). While TWS (-131; -73.2%), and JCP (-737; -74.7%) contracted, SE (+119; +45.8%), SD-R (+2,465; +192.0%) and SD-A (+378; +2.5%) all expanded. The Province spent $106.3 million on Employment Benefits (+15.1%).

The greatest increases in Employment Benefits was in the Skills Development − Regular programs. Reasons for the increase include:

• the addition of Apprentice Training Award that supported 1,600 individuals in FY1920
• the reclassification of Job Creation Partnership programs to the Skills Development- Regular category, and
• increases in Training For Work (TFW) programs, which served increased numbers of recently unemployed, EI-eligible Albertans, providing increased services in rural Alberta communities (such as, new self-employment and Integrated Training programs) and an increase in Albertans accessing Transition to Employment Services

3.2.10.4 Support measures: Employment Assistance Services (EAS)

For a fourth consecutive year, EAS interventions fell in Alberta, reaching 99,272 (-41,415; -29.4%). In FY1920 under EAS, Alberta began reporting Individual Counselling (60,421 interventions) for the first time, while Employment Services dropped by 72.4% (-101,836), to 38,851. EAS total expenditures fell from $56.7 million to $55.0 million, a 2.9% year-over-year decrease.

The significant decrease in the total number of support measures interventions in Alberta, observed in FY1920, was due to changes in reporting under the new Labour Market Transfer Agreement Performance Measurement Plan (PMP) that took effect in FY1920.

3.2.10.5 Other support measures: LMP

Compared to FY1819, total funding for LMP fell by 34.3% to $3.3 million. In total, 47 organizations participated in LMP in FY1920. In order to address high unemployment in Alberta, these funds were shifted to programming for the recently unemployed. There were no reported expenditures under Research and Innovation in FY1920.

The LMP program supports workplace human resources development, labour market research, workforce adjustments and labour market strategies through partnerships with industry and community-based organizations. Several LMP projects focus on underrepresented groups such as youth, immigrants, women, Indigenous persons and visible minorities. These industry and community led projects ensure that Albertans are prepared to participate in Alberta's dynamic labour market. Working with specific industries and communities on labour market partnerships helps address distinct and emerging needs.

Of the 47 organizations that participated in LMP funded projects in Alberta in FY1920, 13 LMP grants were provided to Indigenous communities and stakeholders in the Province. The projects, which included job and career fairs, labour market surveys, Indigenous occupational and cultural awareness, reached 2,195 Indigenous stakeholders, job seekers and employers. They have improved Indigenous participation in the workforce.

3.2.11.1 Managing for results

3.2.11.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

For a sixth consecutive year, British Columbia served a decreasing total number of clients, dropping by 4.9% year-over-year, to 58,662 clients. Active claimants (25,584) and non-insured clients (19,677) declined by 9.9% and 15.7%, respectively. Former claimants (8,607) and PPE clients (4,794) advanced by 22.0% and 65.1%, respectively. As for their shares relative to the total number of clients, active claimants (43.6%) and non-insured clients (33.5%) dropped by 2.4 and 4.3 percentage points, respectively; while former claimants (14.7%) and PPE clients (8.2%) rose by 3.3 and 3.5 percentage points, respectively.

Change in reporting methodology

As a result of changes to the LMDA Benefits and Measures, alongside the launch of the WorkBC program, multiple intervention types were reclassified into different reporting categories in FY1920. Therefore, year-over-year comparison should be made with caution.

In FY1920, the Province delivered 25,272 fewer interventions (-15.7%) than in the previous fiscal year, for a total of 136,199. EAS interventions represented 64.0% (-23.5 percentage points) of all interventions. A total number of 20,491 (-1,024; -4.8%) individuals were employed after participating in an EBSM-similar intervention, and unpaid EI benefits rose by 1.4% to $138.74 million. Total EBSM expenditures reached $285.1 million (-6.6%) in FY1920, including $25.2 million of the $250 million in additional LMDA funding announced in Budget 2017. British Columbia also received additional targeted LMDA funding through the following special measures: $1.6 million to support workers affected by the steel and aluminum industries' trade dispute, as well as close to $1.0 million to support workers in seasonal industries.

This year, the additional LMDA funding provided to British Columbia under Budget 2017 was used to assist the smooth transition to the newly launched WorkBC Employment Services, and to help clients better access skills training and supports. Activities included:

• transitioning active clients from the previous employment program to WorkBC
• supporting 6 communities affected by job loss due to mill closures
• providing additional client support funding where needed, and
• enhancing the WorkBC financial model to ensure contractors and clients receive the right funding and supports to secure long-term sustainable employment

The Province also leveraged some of the additional targeted funding to support workers and communities through CEP projects. As a direct result of CEPs focus on impacted Forestry Communities in Transition, participants gained work experience and skills development in 7 Job Creation Partnerships (JCP) projects and via Project Based Labour Market Training (PBLMT) projects that received over $3.3 million, including:

• carpentry and milling constructing 5 guest cabins in Clearwater, using a combination of post-and-beam timber framing, panel frame construction and finish carpentry
• food security: food waste reduction, including food sourcing, safe food handling, food preservation, preparation and meal planning to support food insecure residents of Fort St. John
• residential building maintenance: training for general handyman, apartment building maintenance worker, work camp maintenance worker and construction worker positions in the Mackenzie area
• wildfire risk assessment and mitigation: assessing over 250 properties in the Thompson-Cariboo regions
• adventure resort work: training for resort worker, campground worker, tourist guide, ski hill worker, ski lift attendant, ranch hand positions in 100 Mile House and Quesnel areas
• roadbuilding: training for road building and heavy construction in the South Cariboo, and
• transportation: training for long haul and bus drivers in the Cariboo region

In addition, LMP funding has provided over $1.5 million to support Communities in Transition that:

• developed recommendations on the overall financial and labour market impact of the current Forestry downturn relating to harvesting, trucking, roadbuilding, silviculture, forestry consulting, and other affected miscellaneous businesses in BC's Interior, and
• updated the curriculum and conducted a pilot cohort of the Working in Natural Gas (WiNG) entry level training program, which was created at the direction of the natural gas industry, to recruit and develop potential workers from around the Province

Text description of chart 31

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	64,197	51,433	36,889	31,953	34,612	34,937	35,891	35,272	32,881	28,399	25,584
Former clients	14,720	16,828	12,984	13,303	11,336	9,502	9,007	8,733	10,209	7,055	8,607
PPE										2,904	4,794
Non-insured clients	35,795	38,415	29,068	31,522	35,680	32,365	31,706	31,073	25,883	23,332	19,677

Text description of chart 32

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	18,965	17,929	12,846	9,719	10,935	9,666	9,232	8,687	7,126	7,337	10,532
Core-age (25 to 54)	70,080	64,350	45,872	46,584	49,179	45,010	44,893	44,197	39,939	36,047	39,283
Older workers (55+)	9,886	9,934	7,839	9,524	10,295	9,738	9,733	9,701	9,302	8,527	8,536

Text description of chart 32

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	38,931	42,082	33,580	16,777	20,040	19,818	19,552	21,050	20,997	21,515	20,491
Active claimants served	64,197	51,433	36,889	31,953	34,612	34,937	35,891	35,272	32,881	28,399	25,584
Total clients served	114,712	106,676	78,941	76,778	81,628	76,804	76,604	75,078	68,973	61,690	58,662
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$241.66	$228.44	$146.43	$112.51	$121.85	$126.47	$125.29	$152.70	$136.56	$136.81	$138.74

Table 16 – British Columbia: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Table 16A – British Columbia: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

Employment Benefits	Program name	Interventions	Year-over-year change	Expenditures ($ 000s)
SD-R	Skills Development Employment Benefit	32,734	1011.90%	177,294
SD-A	Skills Development Employment Benefit – Apprenticeship	13,710	-1.00%
TWS	Wage Subsidies	876	-41.60%	13,954
SE	Self-Employment	1487	-12.00%	15,792
JCP	Job Creation Partnerships	211	3.40%	10,796

Table 16B – British Columbia: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

Support Measures	Program name	Interventions	Year-over-year change	Expenditures ($ 000s)
EAS	Employment Assistance Services	87,181	-38.30%	51,279
LMP	Labour Market Partnerships Employer	n/a	n/a	8,860
	Sponsored Training
R&I	Research and Innovation	n/a	n/a	7,176

3.2.11.3 Employment benefits

Compared to the previous fiscal year, British Columbia delivered 28,836 (+142.9%) more Employment Benefit interventions in FY1920. While declines were recorded in TWS (-625; -41.6%), SE (-203; -12.0%) and SD-A (-133; -1.0%), JCP (+7; +3.4%) and SD-R totals (+29,790; +1,011.9%) both increased. The Province spent $217.8 million (+21.3%) on Employment Benefits.

3.2.11.4 Employment Assistance Services

For a sixth consecutive year, EAS interventions dropped in British Columbia, reaching 87,181 (-54,108; -38.3%) in FY1920. Employment Services (-56,685; -56.6%) contracted significantly, while Individual Counselling (+2,635; +6.4%) increased. For the first time since FY1314, Group Services were not delivered by British Columbia. EAS expenditures fell from last fiscal year's total of $99.7 million, to $51.3 million in FY1920.

3.2.11.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

LMP and R&I funding in British Columbia decreased by 38.4%, to $16.0 million in FY1920. LMP ($8.9 million) and R&I ($7.2 million) dropped by 19.1% and 52.4%, respectively.

In addition to providing direct services and supports to help British Columbians participate productively in the labour force, the province continued to leverage funding from CEP (through LMP and R&I). This was undertaken to understand unique local labour market issues and trends, and collaborate with employers communities to address labour force imbalances and assist with their human resource challenges, as well as to identify innovative approaches to help people find and keep good jobs. This year, these key activities include:

• a study to test whether Cognitive Remediation Therapy, in conjunction with current Individualized Placement and Supports, improve employment outcomes for individuals with severe mental illness
• piloting an innovative approach, using Individual Placement Support and Peer Support, to help at-risk individuals accessing primary care services in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside, in order to gain meaningful employment
• the development of a technical Occupational Framework/Matrix of 20 technical occupations, through the testing of occupational alignment, to support the hiring of persons with disabilities in the technical and other sectors, and
• Research to identify, implement, evaluate and measure the resulting changes of an untested, culturally rich approach to removing the systemic barriers to employment faced by Indigenous youth

Northwest Territories: EBSM Key Facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 299

Insured clients	Non-insured clients
280	19

Total Interventions: 718

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	300	26.10%
Support Measures: EAS	418	76.30%

Relative share of interventions

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	41.80%	29.9
Support Measures: EAS	58.20%	29.9

Total allocation: $3.2 million

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$2.20	24.60%
Support Measures: EAS	$0.80	14.30%
LMP and R&I	$0.08	50.50%
Total expenditures*	$3.10	7.60%

Unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$1.64	$1.43	12.80%

• * Totals may not add up due to rounding; does not include accounting adjustments.

Employment in the Northwest Territories declined (-400; -1.9%) in FY1920 with drops in both full-time (-250; -1.2%) and part-time (-150; -5.9%) employment. The number of unemployed workers increased by 350 (+21.2%) year-over-year, going from 1,650 to 2,000. As a result, the Territory's unemployment rate increased by 1.5 percentage points, from 6.7% to 8.2% year-over-year.

In FY1920, the Northwest Territories continued to implement the Skills 4 Success Four-Year Action Plan 2016 to 2020. The latest key strategy of this action plan, released in May 2018, was the Northwest Territories Small Communities Employment Strategy, to enhance employment and training opportunities and outcomes in the small communities of the territory. In addition, Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Strategy 2017 to 2022 was released in June 2017, to improve training, apprenticeship, certification and opportunities in the skilled trades, as well as industrial occupations, in the territory. Consistent with the overall objectives of the Skills 4 Success Four-Year Action Plan 2016 to 2020, the territory's priorities of the Labour Market Development Agreement were to:

• provide access to programs for EI clients, in order to enhance their skills and increase their likelihood of returning to work quickly
• develop the tools to identify EI clients earlier in their claim, in order to offer them more relevant and better adapted programming, and
• continue to provide quality career development resources and services through Regional Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Service Centres

The Northwest Territories had to adapt its program delivery and offer more flexibilities to clients, because of the impact of COVID-19 at the end of FY1920. The Territory's approach was to not penalize any client impacted by COVID-19, and to continue to provide the pre-approved funding, even if the training was cancelled or postponed. Future editions of this report will present more details about the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

3.2.12.1 Managing for results

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) took a multi-pronged approach to stakeholder engagement. This included ongoing engagement at the regional and community level, through Regional ECE Service Centres, working with regional training committees, education and training providers, Indigenous Governments, community organizations, as well as businesses in the communities, to serve the career development needs of individuals and communities. The GNWT also, over the course of the past 4 years, has undertaken larger scale engagements, as part of Skills 4 Success and the development of complementary strategies. In addition, the territory is currently implementing the Targeting, Referral and Feedback (TRF) system.

3.2.12.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

Compared to FY1920, the Northwest Territories served a total of 299 clients, a decline of 71.7% year-over-year. All client types contracted significantly, with active claimants (134), former claimants (61), PPE clients (85), and non-insured clients (19) decreasing by 49.6%, 70.2%, 62.9%, and 94.6%, respectively. In terms of their shares of the total number of clients, active claimants (44.8%), former claimants (20.4%), and PPE clients (28.4%) advanced by 19.6, 1.0, and 6.7 percentage points, whereas non-insured clients (6.4%) decreased by 27.2 percentage points.

In FY1920, the Northwest Territories delivered 1,282 (-64.1%) fewer interventions than in FY1819, for a total of 718. The proportion of Employment Benefits jumped from 11.9% to 41.8% (+29.9 percentage points year-over-year), with EAS interventions making up the majority (58.2%) of all interventions. The number of individuals returning to work after participating in an EBSM-similar intervention rose by 2.2% to 185, and unpaid EI benefits fell (-12.8%) to $1.43 million. In total, 185 individuals (+2.2%) returned to employment after participating in EBSM-similar programming. EBSM expenditures totalled $3.1 million (+7.6%), including $340,000 representing Northwest Territories' portion of the $250.0 million in additional LMDA funding announced in Budget 2017. While no new programs were created as a result of this additional LMDA funding, the enhanced contribution helped support more individuals, employers and organizations.

In addition to these expenditures, $250,000 in additional targeted funding was made available to support workers in seasonal industries, which the Territory did not access.

Text description of chart 34

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	478	413	327	314	347	294	325	306	333	266	134
Former clients	130	134	153	144	151	138	195	156	343	205	61
PPE										229	85
Non-insured clients	368	388	437	460	532	500	849	573	793	355	19

Text description of chart 35

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	270	277	305	300	274	283	435	295	443	305	72
Core-age (25 to 54)	631	523	535	526	516	496	735	526	825	632	204
Older workers (55+)	41	36	28	32	56	46	76	59	78	69	15

Text description of chart 36

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	278	263	202	185	200	193	173	177	142	181	185
Active claimants served	478	413	327	314	347	294	325	306	333	266	134
Total clients served	976	935	917	918	1,030	932	1,369	1,035	1,469	1,055	299
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$4.05	$3.51	$2.34	$2.16	$2.33	$2.35	$1.82	$2.04	$1.30	$1.64	$1.45

Table 17 – Northwest Territories: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.12.3 Employment benefits

Compared to FY1819, the Northwest Territories delivered more Employment Benefit interventions (300) in FY1920, representing a 26.1% year-over-year increase. SD-R (+44; +50.6%), SD-A (+11; +8.7%) and TWS (+12; +85.7%) contributed to the overall growth. On the other hand, SE dropped by 45.5% (-5). Employment Benefit expenditures grew by 24.6%, to $2.2 million.

3.2.12.4 Support measures: EAS

EAS interventions (418) in the Northwest Territories dropped by 76.3% in FY1920. This decline is mainly attributed to Individual Counselling (-1,351; -76.7%). The Territory invested $821,000 (-14.3%) in EAS.

3.2.12.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

For a fourth consecutive year, total funding for other support measures dropped, amounting to $75,000 (-50.5%) in FY1920. The other support measures were funded solely through LMP, which remained stable year-over-year.

Employer-Sponsored Training component of Labour Market Partnerships

Wage Subsidy Program (WSP): The Wage Subsidy Program provided support to an employer to hire and train Northwest Territories' residents while on the job. This program is intended to provide work experience and training that will better enable clients to obtain meaningful, long-term employment. The WSP projects were supported under the LMDA or Workforce Development Agreements funding.

Employee Training Program (ETP): The Employee Training Program assisted employers, who have proactively hired employees in anticipation of their workforce needs, to offset the cost of training for new employees. The ETP assisted employers who require employee up-skilling due to economic, technological and/or organizational change. It may be used to support employees who are under-employed or employed and in need of training, to maintain their current job and/or advance, progress or move to a different and/or better job. The ETP was accessed in conjunction with the Wage Subsidy Program (WSP), to offset the costs of training employees.

Results/lessons learned for any research and innovation projects that concluded in FY1920

Although it did not conclude in FY1920, the implementation of the Career and Education Advisor positions is a model that is new to the Territory: these positions have provided valuable information and services to the youth of the Northwest Territories, by preparing these individuals for in-demand job opportunities. The 4 priorities of this initiative are:

• improving career and academic educational counseling support to high school students and youth to promote the Northwest Territories' jobs in demand
• providing outreach services to the Northwest Territories postsecondary students receiving Student Financial Assistance (SFA), to connect with in-demand employers
• promoting the Northwest Territories' apprenticeship in skilled trades and certified occupations as first choice careers, to increase the number of the Northwest Territories' students and youth pursuing these in-demand careers, and
• supporting evidence-based and informed educational, career and business decisions, with a new interactive Northwest Territories Labour Market Information Portal

Yukon: EBSM key facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 233

Insured clients	Non-insured clients
207	24

Total interventions: 265

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	183	7.10%
Support Measures: EAS	79	61.80%

Relative Share of Interventions

FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	69.80%	21
Support Measures: EAS	30.20%	21

Total Allocation: $4.1 million

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$1.80	20.40%
Support Measures: EAS	$1.70	11.10%
LMP and R&I	$0.08	57.50%
Total expenditures	$3.60	16.40%

Unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$1.07	$1.12	4.50%

Yukon's overall employment level improved in FY1920 (+500; +2.1%) compared to FY1819, mainly due to an increase in part-time positions (+400; +10.9%). Meanwhile, employment in full-time positions remained relatively stable (+100; +0.4%). Yukon's unemployment rate edged up to 3.5%, compared to 3.4% in the previous year.

Yukon priorities for FY1920 included:

• establishing improved, government-to-government consultation processes with Yukon's First Nation governments
• providing relevant, quality and timely labour market information for users
• facilitating Yukon employers' ability to recruit suitable employees
• enhancing Yukon employers' ability to retain skilled employees
• ensuring training opportunities are available for all Yukon people
• facilitating and improving learning and employment transitions, and
• increasing participation in the labour market for current under-represented groups in Yukon: Yukon First Nations' peoples, youth, older workers, persons with disabilities, women in trades and technology, as well as newcomers to Canada

3.2.13.1 Managing for results

Yukon is working with the Government of Canada to simplify and automate reporting where possible, while improving reporting turn-around times. The Territory is also implementing a new system, by which it will be able to share LMDA data with the Government of Canada on a monthly basis. In addition, Yukon is working with ESDC to implement the Targeting, Referral and Feedback (TRF) system.

3.2.13.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

The total number of clients served in Yukon decreased to 231 (-31.7%) in FY1920. All 4 client types experienced drops: active claimants (-34; -18.0%), former claimants (-12; -34.3%), PPE clients (-10; -25.6%) and non-insured clients (-51; -68.0%). In terms of the shares relative to the total number of clients, active claimants were the largest client group, representing 67.1% of all clients served in Yukon, up by 11.2 percentage points from the previous year. Compared to FY1819, the share of PPE clients (12.6%) increased by 1.0 percentage points, while non-insured clients' share (10.4%) decreased by 11.8 percentage points and former claimants share (10.0%) remained stable (-0.4 percentage points).

Compared to FY1819, Yukon delivered fewer EBSM-similar interventions in FY1920 (262), a 35.1% year‑over‑year decline. The share of Employment Benefits relative to all interventions increased, from 48.8% to 69.8% (+21.0 percentage points year‑over‑year), while that of EAS interventions dropped, from 51.2% to 30.2%. In total, unpaid EI benefits jumped by 4.5% to $1.12 million, and 123 individuals (+2.5%) returned to employment after participating in EBSM-similar programming.

Total expenditures for EBSMs rose from $3.1 million in FY1819 to $3.6 million in FY1920, a 16.4% year-over-year increase. This amount included the $227,000 envelope the Territory received in FY1920 as part of the $250.0 million in additional LMDA funding announced in Budget 2017.

On top of these expenditures, $250,000 was made available to Yukon under the additional targeted funding measures to support workers in seasonal industries, which the Territory did not access.

Text description of chart 37

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	344	289	305	338	271	259	211	201	208	189	155
Former clients	77	56	97	93	45	45	41	34	44	35	23
PPE										39	29
Non-insured clients	197	176	267	274	96	131	65	85	108	75	24

Text description of chart 38

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	94	94	109	119	41	53	28	35	34	27	37
Core-age (25 to 54)	301	240	311	323	163	174	131	134	167	176	139
Older workers (55+)	43	30	71	71	37	48	28	24	29	25	16

Text description of chart 39

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	94	94	109	119	41	53	28	35	34	27	37
Core-age (25 to 54)	301	240	311	323	163	174	131	134	167	176	139
Older workers (55+)	43	30	71	71	37	48	28	24	29	25	16

Table 18 – Yukon: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.13.3 Employment benefits

In FY1920, the number of Employment Benefit interventions in Yukon dropped by 7.1% to 183. This drop is mainly attributable to the decline in SD-A (-12; -7.3%), which represented 83.1% of all Employment Benefits in Yukon. The Territory spent $1.8 million (+20.4%) on Employment Benefits.

3.2.13.4 Support measures: EAS

Compared to the previous fiscal year, Yukon delivered fewer EAS interventions in FY1920, a large decline of 61.8%, for a total of 79. EAS expenditures increased by 11.1% to $1.7 million.

3.2.13.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

Yukon's total funding for other support measures advanced, from $51,000 in FY1819 to $80,000 in FY1920, a 57.5% year-over-year increase. From this amount, LMP and R & I represented $12,000 and $69,000, respectively.

Employer-Sponsored Training component of Labour Market Partnerships

Many activities are offered under the Employer-Sponsored Training component of LMPs. Due to a new flexible Working Up Program Suite, when employers approach the Territory with their unique labour market challenges and goals, Yukon can develop a funding solution for them. Some of the activities involve hiring and training new staff for hard to fill positions. Other activities involve training current staff for promotional opportunities within their employer's organization. Yukon has a number of employers who have developed annual essential skills development programs for their employees.

Results/lessons learned for any research and innovation projects that concluded in FY1920

The research and innovation projects that concluded in FY1920 were composed of 2 surveys conducted by Yukon Bureau of Statistics: The Yukon Employment and Skills Survey and the Yukon Business Survey. The results from these surveys allowed the Territory to determine areas where further services and supports were required. For example, it clearly identified the lack of resources and employment opportunities in remote communities, as well as various gaps between the experience and skills required by employers, as well as the experience and skills held by available applicants and/or current employees.

Nunavut: EBSM Key Facts

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

Total clients served: 477

Insured clients	Non-insured clients
322	305

Total interventions: 821

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	339	2.70%
Support Measures: EAS	482	64.80%

Relative Share of Interventions

Intervention type	FY1920	Year-over-year change (pp)
Employment Benefits	41.30%	21.9
Support Measures: EAS	58.70%	21.9

Total allocation: $3.3 million

Total expenditures	FY1920 ($ million)	Year-over-year change
Employment Benefits	$2.20	15.00%
Support Measures: EAS	$0.00	100%
LMP and R&I	$0.80	367%
Total expenditures*	$3.00	34%

Unpaid EI benefits ($ million)

FY1819	FY1920	Year-over-year change
$0.64	$0.63	-2.20%

^*Expenditures are estimates provided by Nunavut at time of writing. Totals may not add up due to rounding; does not include accounting adjustments.

Nunavut's overall employment level increased by 100 (+0.8%) in FY1920 to a total of 13,100. Full-time employment grew by 400 (+3.3%), while part-time employment declined by 300 (-17.4%). The number of unemployed workers edged down from 2,200 in FY1819, to 2,100 in FY1920. In this context, the Territory's unemployment rate dropped from 14.6% to 13.7%, year-over-year.

Translating the Territory's fast economic growth into job opportunities represented Nunavut's main labour market challenge. This applied particularly to the Inuit population, which was employed in a much lower proportion than the non-Inuit population. The territory's labour market priorities in FY1920 were:

• preparing the labour force to meet the needs of a growing and transitioning economy
• developing programs to improve the participation of youth and persons with disabilities in the labour market
• encouraging greater employer involvement in training, to ensure that skills are aligned with current and future job opportunities
• helping Nunavummiut to develop the essential skills to succeed in finding and keeping employment;
• connecting Nunavummiut job seekers with job opportunities through accurate, timely and comprehensive labour market information, and
• engaging with community leaders, community organizations, municipalities, Inuit organizations and other levels of government, to leverage partnership opportunities

3.2.14.1 Managing for results

To increase client participation in its EBSM-similar programming, Nunavut improves client service by monitoring and adjusting its service delivery model on a regular basis. To ensure all clients receive the best results from EAS, the Territory is developing an ongoing professional development program for its front-line staff. As well, the case management system is being evaluated, in order to identify measures that better meet client needs. These improvements are driving the creation of new information sources as well as tools to inform practice and policy.

3.2.14.2 Clients, interventions and expenditures

Nunavut served a smaller number of clients, totaling 627 (-49.7%) in FY1920. All client groups dropped by varying degrees: active claimants (-47.9%), former claimants (-36.2%), PPE clients (-42.3%) and non-insured clients (-56.1%).

In FY1920, Nunavut delivered 821 interventions (-51.7%), with Employment Benefits increasing slowly (+2.7%) and EAS interventions dropping (-64.8%). Returns to employment in the Territory dropped by 12.5% to 42, while unpaid EI benefits totaled $0.63 million (-2.2% year-over-year).

Total expenditures towards EBSM-similar programming grew by $0.7 million to 3.0 million (+34%). These included $303K that the Territory received in FY1920 as part of the $250.0 million additional LMDA funding from Budget 2017.

On top of these expenditures, $250,000 were also made available to Yukon under the additional targeted funding measures to support workers in seasonal industries, which the Territory did not access.

Text description of chart 40

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Active clients	179	109	107	100	98	110	126	116	153	142	74
Former clients	160	73	80	113	128	126	154	95	168	177	113
PPE										234	135
Non-insured clients	507	38	89	219	173	460	706	628	773	694	305

Text description of chart 41

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Youth (15 to 24)	247	38	65	132	120	241	332	307	467	511	276
Core-age (25 to 54)	531	125	166	231	223	399	567	466	540	652	304
Older workers (55+)	11	7	7	7	9	25	42	28	34	42	24

Text description of chart 42

	FY0910	FY1011	FY1112	FY1213	FY1314	FY1415	FY1516	FY1617	FY1718	FY1819	FY1920
Returns to employment	175	80	65	53	50	47	53	75	52	48	42
Active claimants served	179	109	107	100	98	110	126	116	153	142	74
Total clients served	846	220	276	432	399	696	986	839	1,094	1,247	627
Estimated unpaid EI benefits ($ million)	$1.08	$0.82	$0.78	$0.40	$0.38	$0.52	$0.62	$1.15	$0.78	$0.64	$0.63

Table 19 – Nunavut: EBSM-similar programming, FY1920

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

3.2.14.3 Employment benefits

In FY1920, Nunavut delivered 339 Employment Benefit interventions (+2.7%), with SD-A (108; +163.4%) increasing and SD-R (186; -34.5%) dropping. While in FY1819 no TWS interventions were delivered, 45 were issued in FY1920. SE were not delivered in FY1920. The Territory spent $2.2 million (+15%) on Employment Benefits.

3.2.14.4 Support measures: EAS

Under EAS, Nunavut delivered Employment Services, with these interventions dropping by 64.8% year-over-year; going from 1,371 in FY1819 to 482 in the most recent reporting period. The Territory did not report any EAS expenditures.

3.2.14.5 Other support measures: LMP and R&I

LMP total expenditures grew from $176,000 in FY1819 to $806,000 in FY1920, representing a year-over-year increase of $634,000. No R&I expenditures were recorded in FY1920.

Objectives of the study

• Develop an understanding of the design, delivery and success of the self-employment program
• Define the outcomes of success that can be attributed to program participation
• Fill in knowledge gaps about factors influencing the success or failure of self-employment businesses
• Determine lessons learned, best practices and key challenges related to program design and delivery

Evaluation methodology

This study used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to address the evaluation questions:

• document review
• Canadian self-employment literature and statistics
• key informant interviews with program managers, and front-line third-party service providers and case workers
• statistical analysis of administrative data
• survey of self-employment participants across 9 provinces and territories

Participants' employment outcomes

Self-employment participants increased their employment level by 15 percentage points from 59% in the year before participating to 74% at the time of survey (that is 2 to 4 years after program participation).

Type of businesses created, survival rates and success factors

Nearly 50% of survey respondents launched a self-employment business and it was still in operation in winter 2020 (2 to 4 years following program participation). Among the 1,365 respondents who started a business, 68% of them were still operating their business at 2 to 4 years post-program. Another 4% had sold their business, but it was still operational. Twenty-four percent (24%) of respondents were unable to maintain the operation of the business they had started as part of the program.

The business survival rate is consistent with a 2018 Statistics Canada study^{Footnote 20} that found that less than half of unincorporated self-employed individuals continued operations for more than 2 years.

Half of self-employment businesses were launched in other services^{Footnote 21}; professional, scientific and technical services; as well as in construction and retail trade.

Regarding factors influencing the success or failure of self-employment businesses, participants:

• who started a business under the self-employment program and were still in operation at the time of survey attributed their business success to: their dedication, hard work and positive attitude; the high demand for their services or products; the quality of service provided; their own abilities, experience, knowledge and skills; their network; and, business contacts
• who started a business but were forced to close it attributed the closure to: poor sales and low revenues; small market; workload; and, finding another job

• who did not launch a business during program participation attributed this to: lack of funding; the level of uncertainty and risk involved; workload, worklife balance; and, underestimating the required commitment

Key considerations for program and policy development

• The self-employment program can benefit from an updated objective specifying that it is dedicated to eligible participants who have a viable business idea, the financial and/or in-kind resources to launch a business, and the required level of dedication.
• The data collection for self-employed participants should include only participants who have been deemed suitable for self-employment and accepted into the program.
• Indicator of program success can include: Increase in employment and/or self-employment levels; medium-term increase in earnings; business survival rate similar to the local economy and/or the sector; and acquisition of transferable skills.
• Provinces and territories may wish to consult with their service delivery network on the extent to which identified challenges are applicable to their unique context, and how best to address them along with integrating lessons learned that can benefit program delivery.

Earning outcomes and reliance on income support

Survey respondents were not comfortable answering questions that related to their earnings. This situation made it difficult to compare the pre- and post-earnings of self-employment participants. Overall, there appears to be an increase in the number of participants reporting less than $10,000 in earnings annually. However, survey respondents who were able to maintain the operation of their business, were more likely than respondents, whose business had closed, to report earning more or the same as before participating in the program.

As a complement to the earnings questions, survey respondents were asked to provide an assessment of their financial well-being. When taking their entire financial situation into consideration, 73% of respondents said that they were financially about the same or better off after the program when compared to before they started the self-employment program. As well, 70% of respondents said that their household net worth was about the same or higher when compared to before they started the self-employment program.

In line with survey findings, 14 P/T program managers stated that immediate increases in earnings are not necessarily an expected outcome of the program. 

Regarding the reliance on government income support, participants reduced reliance on the use of EI and social assistance following program participation.

Satisfaction with services received and current employment

A high percentage of respondents who started a self-employment business reported that they were equally or more satisfied with their job situation compared to their pre-program participation. Those who were able to maintain the operation of their business were 29 percentage points more likely to report being more satisfied, compared to those whose business had closed (76% compared to 47%).

Regarding the contribution of the program to the success of self-employment businesses, at least 81% of survey respondents who launched a self-employment business rated the following services and training as very or somewhat important to the business launch, operation and success:

• assistance with business plan development
• one-on-one mentoring / advice or counselling supports
• discussion on risks and challenges of self-employment
• assessment of entrepreneurial readiness
• living allowance during participation and financial assistance with business start-up costs
• information about and assistance to access capital
• training on budgeting, financial management, marketing, business operation and sales

Complementarity between the self-employment program and other similar programs

Key informants in 8 provinces and territories confirmed that other programs are available to help new entrepreneurs; however, they believed that the self-employment program does not duplicate these programs. Examples included:

• financial support is the distinguishing feature of the self-employment program
• other programs are not as comprehensive in terms of training and supports compared to the self-employment program
• some programs are dedicated to specific demographics such as women, youth, Indigenous peoples and immigrants. By comparison, all demographic groups can participate in the self-employment program

Challenges and lessons learned related to program design and delivery

Key informants identified challenges related to program design and delivery. These included:

• the lack of clear communication between service providers and the provincial or territorial department and/or Service Canada regarding the confirmation of eligibility for EI
• the restrictive contract provisions for service providers
• the complex assessment process of candidates
• the difficulty to serve remote and rural areas

Best practices related to program design and delivery included:

• using local and specialized organizations to deliver the program
• using standardized tools for business plan development
• relying on local expertise to assess business viability
• providing ongoing mentorship, advice and counselling
• using specialists to deliver tailored training
• providing participants with opportunity to network and facilitating their knowledge of and access to funding

The report for The National Study of the Design and Delivery of the Self-Employment Program is available upon request.

Incremental Impact Findings

Detailed Findings for Active and Former EI Claimants by Type of Intervention

Incidence of employment

Chart 43 presents the incremental impacts on the incidence of employment for active and former EI claimants by type of program. The estimates can be interpreted as a change in the probability of being employed following participation. Active EI claimants who participated in SD, TWS and JCP increased their incidence of employment relative to similar non- participants. Former EI claimants who participated in SD, TWS and JCP increased their incidence of employment relative to similar participants who received only EAS services.^{Footnote 25}

Active EI claimants who received EAS services experienced a small positive, but not statistically significant, impact on the incidence of employment. EAS services are relatively modest activities such as counselling, job search assistance and case management. By themselves, these services are not expected to increase the skills of participants or influence their employment level to a large extent, and are often provided in conjunction with longer interventions such as SD.

Text description of chart 43

	Skills Development	Employment Assistance Services	Targeted Wage Subsidies	Job Creation Partnerships
Active Claimants	4	0.3	3.8	4.8
Former Claimants	2.5		6.2	2.5

To complement the incremental impact analysis, the labour market outcomes^{Footnote 26} for all EAS participants in the 2010-2012 period were observed. Table 19 shows that these participants maintained an employment level of 86% and 85%, respectively, in the first 2 years that followed their participation.

Table 20 – Labour Market Status of EAS Participants

Percentage of EAS participants	EAS start year	1 year post	2 years post
Percentage employed	94%	86%	85%
Percentage on EI	98%	30%	29%
Percentage on SA	8%	10%	9%
Percentage on Canada Pension Plan	6%	8%	10%
Percentage on Canada Pension Plan – Disability	0%	1%	1%
Percentage on Old Age Security	2%	2%	3%

• N= 272,813. Participants can collect multiple source of benefits while employed or unemployed.

Employment earnings

Chart 44 presents the average annual increase in employment earnings for active and former claimants over the 4 years post-participation:^{Footnote 27}

• active EI claimants who participated in SD, TWS and JCP increased their employment earnings relative to similar non-participants
• active EI claimants who participated in only EAS services increased their employment earning relative to similar non-participants, however, as noted above, these services are relatively modest activities and, by themselves, are not expected to lead to greatly influence labour market outcomes. In addition, these services do not aim to upgrade participants' level of education and/or skills and are therefore not necessarily expected to assist them in securing higher paying jobs. Securing higher paying jobs is more dependent on participants' prior levels of education and skills
• former EI claimants who participated in SD and TWS increased their employment earnings relative to similar participants who received only EAS services. Former EI claimants who participated in JCP experienced decreases in their employment earnings relative to similar participants who received only EAS services

Text description of chart 44

	Skills Development	Employment Assistance Services	Targeted Wage Subsidies	Job Creation Partnerships
Active Claimants	$2,508	$376	$1,648	$1,208
Former Claimants	$768		$1,945	-$1,102

Use of EI benefits

As shown in Chart 45, active EI claimants who participated in EBSMs reduced the use of EI benefits in the post-program period compared to similar non-participants. Former EI claimants who participated in SD, TWS and JCP increased their use of EI benefits in the post-program period relative to similar participants who received EAS services only.

• In the case of SD and TWS, the increase in the use of EI by former claimant participants is consistent with previous evaluations and is not necessarily a negative impact. Following their participation in these interventions, former EI claimants are more likely to be eligible for EI benefits due to their stronger labour market attachment demonstrated by increases in employment and earnings
• The increase in the use of EI for former claimants who participated in JCP is a negative impact given the decrease in employment earnings. This intervention will not pass the cost-benefit test

Text description of chart 45

	Skills Development	Employment Assistance Services	Targeted Wage Subsidies	Job Creation Partnerships
Active Claimants	-$279	-$489	-$318	-$214
Former Claimants	$142		$247	$420

Use of SA benefits

As shown in Chart 46, most active and former EI claimant participants decreased the use of their SA benefits in the post-program period:

• active EI claimants who participated in SD and TWS decreased the use of SA benefits in the post-program period compared to similar non-participants. The estimate for active claimants who participated in JCP was not statistically significant
• active EI claimants who participated in EAS services only had a small increase in the use of SA benefits compared to similar non-participants
• former EI claimants who participated in SD, TWS and JCP decreased their use of SA benefits compared to similar participants who received only EAS services

Text description of chart 46

	Skills Development	Employment Assistance Services	Targeted Wage Subsidies	Job Creation Partnerships
Active Claimants	-$40	$27	-$76	-$27
Former Claimants	-$130		-$365	-$152

• *The incremental impact is not statistically significant.

Dependence on Income Support

As shown in Chart 47, active and former EI claimants who participated in EBSMs reduced their overall level of dependence on income support (combined EI and SA benefits).

Text description of chart 47

	Skills Development	Employment Assistance Services	Targeted Wage Subsidies	Job Creation Partnerships
Active Claimants	-1.8	-2.1	-2.5	-0.5
Former Claimants	-1.0		-3.1	-1.6

• *The incremental impact is not statistically significant.

The report for the Analysis of Employment Benefits and Support Measures (EBSM) Profile and Medium-Term Incremental Impacts from 2010 to 2017 is available upon request.

Overview of LMDAs and the effect on economic security using poverty measures and national median wages as proxies

The Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) fund effective programs that help unemployed and employed workers return to work, and also aim to increase their income, and provide skills, training and employment networks to help weather economic changes. However, LMDAs are not one-size fits all labour market programs. This year's economic security section reports on the employment experiences of women, visible minorities and Indigenous peoples, after participating in Employment Benefit and Support Measures (EBSMs).

General outcomes are examined through the lens of the designated groups, to see how the programs affect groups who are more vulnerable to the business cycle and barriers in the labour market. The labour market barriers faced by these groups are complex and multi-layered. This will require further analysis to understand the social and policy implications. While outcomes-based analysis does not allow measured impacts to be unequivocally attributed to LMDAs, the trends observed in this analysis likely demonstrate the effects of labour market programming on poverty and economic security.

Methodology

General outcomes for active claimants who participated in programs funded through Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) between January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013 show that EBSMs, overall, are valuable investments in skills and employment and address some dimensions of poverty. To assess how LMDAs improve economic security, employment outcomes were examined against national median wages and low-income measures (LIM). This year's analysis focusses on the effects of LMDA-funded programs on women, visible minorities and Indigenous peoples. It reports the results of program participation in Employment Benefits and Support Measures (EBSMs) for women and men, visible minorities, and for Indigenous peoples.

This analysis only consists of active EI claimants. This allows for the use of larger sample sizes. Cohorts of former EI claimants were excluded. Income for this report comes from Line 236 - Net income, from T1 tax forms (2007 to 2017). The data used in this analysis represents national aggregates and limits annual income to $75,000 or less. Few individuals in EBSMs earn more than $75,000, and since this analysis uses mean income, it would inflate the average.

General outcomes analyses report on changes to participants' key variables after a set of EBSM interventions, relative these same variables before participation. Such analyses follows, for example, income flows over time for active claimants, to see how active labour market programming has altered them. The time period for this analysis is 10 years: 5 years before the set of interventions, the time it takes complete it (up to 5 quarters), and the 3 years after the interventions. Unlike Section 3.3.1 and 3.3.2, this section limits its focus to income changes for active claimants following LMDA programs. It does not do comparisons with groups of non-participants, nor does it report on former claimants.

LMDAs, income, economic security and poverty

LMDAs help participants leave low-income and poverty by providing skills, training and supports to increase income and return to work. However, outcomes vary for members of equity groups.

Table 21: Profile of active claimants who started Employment Benefits and Support Measures between January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada
• ** Find your NOC - Canada.ca

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

Table 22: Profile of active male claimants who started Employment Benefits and Support Measures between January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada
• ** Find your NOC - Canada.ca

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

Table 23: Profile of active female claimants who started Employment Benefits and Support Measures between January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013

For accessibility reasons, the table has been simplified. Consult the PDF version for the full table.

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• *Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

• * Source: Labour Market Program Data Platform, Employment and Social Development Canada

General outcomes by sex

Women have lower average income than men, and face additional barriers that affect their return to work after job loss. Literature states that women disproportionately shoulder family responsibilities, which limits their ability for economic advancement. In our ageing society, this may also entail caring for elderly family members, as well as for children. According to the World Bank, "women undertake 3 times more unpaid work than men and spend about half as much time in paid work."^{Footnote 34} Moreover, "women tend to be concentrated in less productive jobs, run enterprises in less productive sectors, and are more likely to do part‑time and temporary jobs with fewer avenues for advancement, than men."^{Footnote 35}Three main barriers were identified by research conducted by the Word Bank to impact women's economic security. These were safe transportation, discrimination, and caregiving.^{Footnote 36}

Access to safe transportation plays a role in women's ability to work outside the home.^{Footnote 37} Finally, discrimination can play a role in women's access to jobs and job interviews. Studies have found that women with caregiving responsibilities are disadvantaged in the labour force. This can take the form of discriminatory hiring practices from employers who do not hire women who might have children,^{Footnote 38} or from women who may self-select to work in lower-wage, part-time, or precarious jobs due to a lack of caregiving supports.^{Footnote 39} "Women as a group often have greater difficulty than men finding suitable alternate employment once they have lost their jobs. They tend to stay unemployed longer and, when new jobs are found, often work at replacement wages which are significantly lower than those of their male counterparts."^{Footnote 40}

Overall, Chart 51 the gap with national median wages. On average, indexed income for active claimants who participated in an EBSM rose faster than LIM and national median wages. While close to 3-quarters of participants only had light-touch/gateway interventions through EAS, 1 in 5 participants benefitted from more intensive SD-R program in FY1213. More men than women participated in an EBSM during this period (55.7% and 44.3%, respectively).

Text description of chart 48

	Pre-program period					Program Period		Post-program period
	5 Yrs Pre	4 Yrs Pre	3 Yrs Pre	2 Yrs Pre	1 Yrs Pre	Program start year	1 year after start year / EAS 1 Yr post	1 Yr Post / EAS 2 Yr post	2 Yrs Post /  EAS 3 Yr post	3 Yrs Post /  EAS 4 Yr post
	January 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008	January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009	January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010	January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011	January 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012	January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013	January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014	January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015	January 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016	January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017
SD-R	100	107	111	123	134	79	98	134	145	150
TWS	100	104	101	109	113	76	96	106	110	109
JCP	100	100	96	107	118	68	108	134	127	122
EAS-only	100	105	104	112	122	81	98	108	109	108
Median wages	100	102	104	105	103	103	105	104	107	106
Low-income (after-tax)	100	103	103	103	105	107	107	109	110	111

• Notes Low income measures (LIM) after tax are set at 50% of adjusted median household income, for an individual person
• EAS-only does not have an extended program period. One-year post start period is outside of the program period
• Sources Employment and Social Development Canada. Labour Market Program Data Platform
• Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0232-01 Low income measure (LIM) thresholds by income source and household size
• Statistics Canada. Table 18-10-0005-01 Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted
• Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0340-01 Employee wages by occupation, annual

Indexed income for total participants from SD‑R had the highest overall growth rate (50%), from 5 years before job loss, to 3 years after program participation (Chart 48). Income for JCP participants had the next highest growth rate, a 22% increase over the ten‑year period. While the growth rate for incomes from the TWS and EAS‑only groups were weaker than the other programs, they still grew faster than LIM and median wages, at 9% and 6%, respectively.

Average income for total participants from SD-R increased by 50.3%, from $20,448, 5 years before job loss to $30,731, 3‑years after program participation (Table 23). Participants' income surpassed the low-income threshold (LIM) and returned to their highest income level prior to job loss within the first year after leaving the program. Their income continued to climb over the 3 post-participation years. Average income for SD-R participants closed the gap with national median wages by 20.2 percentage points over the 10‑year period.

Text description of chart 49

	Pre-program period					Program Period		Post-program period
	5 Yrs Pre	4 Yrs Pre	3 Yrs Pre	2 Yrs Pre	1 Yrs Pre	Program start year	1 year after start year / EAS 1 Yr post	1 Yr Post / EAS 2 Yr post	2 Yrs Post /  EAS 3 Yr post	3 Yrs Post /  EAS 4 Yr post
	January 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008	January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009	January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010	January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011	January 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012	January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013	January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014	January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015	January 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016	January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017
SD-R	100	106	111	123	137	91	116	147	155	160
TWS	100	103	98	106	112	79	100	111	115	113
JCP	100	98	89	99	120	74	118	146	132	121
EAS-only	100	104	102	110	121	85	103	113	113	111
Median wages - male	100	100	103	103	102	103	104	103	106	105
Low-income measure (after-tax)	100	103	103	103	105	107	107	109	110	111

• Notes Low income measures (LIM) after tax are set at 50% of adjusted median household income, for an individual person
• EAS-only does not have an extended program period. One-year post start period is outside of the program period
• Sources Employment and Social Development Canada. Labour Market Program Data Platform
• Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0232-01 Low income measure (LIM) thresholds by income source and household size
• Statistics Canada. Table 18-10-0005-01 Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted
• Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0340-01 Employee wages by occupation, annual

This strong growth was driven by male participants, whose indexed growth rate was 60% from FY0708 to FY1617 (Chart 49). The growth rate for their female counterparts was 33%, over the same period. Average income for men surpassed their highest pre-job loss income in the first year post-program. Income rose 6.9% from $30,509, the year before job loss, to $32,623, the year after program participation. Income continued to climb for the 3 years after participation to $35,591. Incomes for male SD-R participants closed the gap with national median wages by 24.9 percentage points, shrinking from 52.5% 5 years before job loss to 27.6%, 3 years after program participation.

Median wages for women in SD‑R also increased after program participation, but at a slower rate than for men and resulting in a lower income level. Income for females returned to their highest pre-job loss levels two-years after program participation from $23,138 to $23,134 (Chart 53). Income rose slowly in the third year to $24,042, a 3.9% increase from the year before program participation. Average income for women closed the gap with national median wages by 10.6 percentage points, from 53.1% in FY0708 to 42.5% in FY1617.

Text description of chart 50

	Pre-program period					Program Period		Post-program period
	5 Yrs Pre	4 Yrs Pre	3 Yrs Pre	2 Yrs Pre	1 Yrs Pre	Program start year	1 year after start year / EAS 1 Yr post	1 Yr Post / EAS 2 Yr post	2 Yrs Post /  EAS 3 Yr post	3 Yrs Post /  EAS 4 Yr post
	January 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008	January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009	January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010	January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011	January 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012	January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013	January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014	January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015	January 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016	January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017
SD-R	100	108	113	122	128	59	69	111	128	133
TWS	100	105	106	113	116	71	90	99	102	103
JCP	100	103	104	116	115	61	97	120	121	124
EAS-only	100	106	108	115	122	75	89	100	103	104
Median wages - female	100	102	105	105	104	106	107	108	108	109
Low-income (after-tax)	100	103	103	103	105	107	107	109	110	111

• Notes Low income measures (LIM) after tax are set at 50% of adjusted median household income, for an individual person
• EAS-only does not have an extended program period. One-year post start period is outside of the program period
• Sources Employment and Social Development Canada. Labour Market Program Data Platform
• Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0232-01 Low income measure (LIM) thresholds by income source and household size
• Statistics Canada. Table 18-10-0005-01 Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted
• Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0340-01 Employee wages by occupation, annual