Labour Market Transfers

The Government of Canada’s largest investment in skills training and employment is through funding provided to provinces and territories. The bilateral Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) provide $3.5 billion each year for individuals and employers to receive:

Every year, Canadians receive more than a million training and employment supports through this federal funding.

Achievements of the Labour Market Transfers in 2021 to 2022

Labour Market Transfers allocation

$3.5 Billion

Number of training and employment supports provided to individuals and employers across Canada

1 Million

Number of training and employment supports provided to persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and racialized Canadians

530,000

Average increased earnings over a 4-year period for participants who received skills development training under the LMDA

$13,000

The LMDAs provide skills development and training support to individuals who have recently lost a job. The LMDAs are funded by the Employment Insurance (EI) contributions of employers and workers. LMDA programming assists individuals to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment.

The WDAs complement the LMDAs and focus on reaching those who are furthest removed from the labour market, such as those who are unemployed or underemployed. The WDAs also focus on supporting persons with disabilities, as well as members of underrepresented groups such as:

  • Indigenous peoples
  • youth
  • visible minorities
  • newcomers to Canada, and
  • women

Provinces and territories consult annually with labour market stakeholders to inform the design and delivery of training and employment programs. This is done in order to best meet the needs of their local labour markets.

Funding at a glance

Province and territory overview of funding and individuals served in 2021 to 2022
Province and territory overview of funding and individuals served in 2021 to 2022 - Text description follows
Text description of Province and territory overview of funding and individuals served in 2021 to 2022

Key numbers at a glance (2021 to 2022)


Key national figures and agreement objectives

Funding allocations: $3.5 Billion

Training and employment participants: 1.1 Million

  • Newfoundland and Labrador: Funding: $164 Million; Participants: 22,000
  • Prince Edward Island: Funding: $34 Million; Participants: 13,000
  • Nova Scotia: Funding: $128 Million; Participants: 27,000
  • New Brunswick: Funding: $132 Million; Participants: 40,000
  • Quebec: Funding: $923 Million; Participants: 210,000
  • Ontario: Funding: $1.1 Billion; Participants: 384,000
  • Manitoba: Funding: $97 Million; Participants: 94,000
  • Saskatchewan: Funding: $85 Million; Participants: 35,000
  • Alberta: Funding: $317 Million; Participants: 104,000
  • British Columbia: Funding: $464 Million; Participants: 176,000
  • Yukon: Funding: $8 Million; Participants: 500
  • Northwest Territories: Funding: $8 Million; Participants: 1,100
  • Nunavut: Funding: $7 Million; Participants: 177

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