Departmental Results Report Fiscal year 2018 to 2019

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Ministers’ message

We are pleased to present Employment and Social Development Canada’s fiscal year 2018 to 2019 Departmental Results Report. This report highlights the results achieved over the past year.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) strives to build a stronger and more inclusive country. The department has worked hard to ensure Canadians have the supports needed as they transition through the various stages in life and that those resources and services are working effectively to meet their needs.

This year, ESDC was recognized nationally as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This recognition is due largely in part to the team of dedicated, talented and professional employees who work here. Across the country and in every region, ESDC employees are making a difference in the lives of Canadians by delivering the services and benefits people need, how, when and where they want them.

Helping those most vulnerable is a priority for this department. A person’s ability to fully participate in society can only be realized if their basic needs are met. Canada’s first-ever national Poverty Reduction Strategy targets a 20 percent reduction in poverty by 2020 and, according to data released in the 2017 Canadian Income Survey, we reached that target, a full 3 years ahead of schedule, placing Canada’s poverty rate at its lowest in history. We are now working towards achieving a 50 percent reduction in poverty by 2030. To support that goal, we have created a National Advisory Council on Poverty, entrenched into law Canada’s Official Poverty Line and established poverty reduction targets to ensure a long-term federal commitment to reduce poverty.

The department’s work with communities to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada represents an important component of reducing poverty. Through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, organizations have placed 4,118 individuals in more stable housing in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. In addition, a redesigned Homelessness Partnering Strategy, now known as the Reaching Home program, was launched, putting the focus on achieving community-wide outcomes and supporting the goals of the National Housing Strategy to achieve a 50 percent reduction in chronic homelessness by 2027 to 2028.

As Canada’s seniors population continues to grow, programs and services must respond to the needs of an aging population and ensure those same programs provide a greater sense of security and a better quality of life, not only for seniors of today but future retirees as well. Improvements have been made in a variety of areas. They include enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan; increases to future retirement, disability and survivor benefits of working Canadians; a simplified application process allowing clients to apply for both Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement at the same time; and increases to the Guaranteed Income Supplement amount to support the lowest-income single seniors. These increases alone have assisted close to 900,000 Canadians, helping lift an estimated 57,000 out of poverty.

The cost of raising kids today can be expensive — this is why the Canada Child Benefit payments were indexed to the cost of living. The increase came 2 years ahead of the initial target date and is helping provide families with even more money each month to help pay for things like school supplies and groceries. We also know families struggle to find quality, affordable childcare. By 2020, the investments we are making through the bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories will lead to the creation of up to 40,000 more affordable child care spaces. The first annual National Progress Report on Early Learning and Child Care helps demonstrate the important strides we are making. For example, we have already reached over 50 percent of our target in the first year of the bilateral agreements. We have also put in place the first-ever Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework, co-developed with Indigenous partners, to help access culturally appropriate early learning.

Community spaces, workspaces, services and programs must be accessible and must work for everyone. The new Accessible Canada Act sets a precedent for how the Government of Canada and federally regulated organizations within federal jurisdictions will identify, remove and address barriers to accessibility. The act moves us from a system under which persons with disabilities have to fight every day for basic access, to a new model that will address systemic issues that perpetuate these barriers. Programs such as the Enabling Accessibility Fund, which now includes a new Youth Innovation component, have funded over 473 projects, helping to improve accessibility and the quality of life for many.

To support families and workers during times of uncertainty the department has made Employment Insurance more flexible, inclusive and easier to access for all Canadians. To achieve this, we made maternity, parental and caregiving benefits more responsive to the changing needs of Canadians. We extended the Working While on Claim provisions of Employment Insurance to now include sickness and maternity benefit claimants. As of October 2019, this measure has helped more than 2 million claimants. Furthermore, the Canada Workers Benefit was also introduced to help supplement the earnings of low-income workers and improve work incentives for low-income Canadians.

We know that finding and keeping good jobs in an increasingly competitive workforce is a challenge for young Canadians. That’s why the Canada Summer Jobs program was expanded to include all eligible youth across Canada aged 15 to 30. Moreover, the Canada Service Corps program is helping youth gain valuable personal and professional skills while providing them the opportunity to give back to their communities. Finally, the recent modernization of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, based on the recommendations we received from the Expert Panel on Youth Employment, is delivering greater support for youth facing barriers. This strategy aims to provide flexible services tailored to each individual, broaden eligibility, and enhance supports to help young Canadians develop skills and gain the experience necessary to successfully transition into the labour market.

The demands of the global economy often mean that joining today’s labour market requires more advanced education credentials. In response to this, Canada Student Grants and Loans is helping make education more accessible for those who need it most. Through Skills Boost, it is now easier for adult learners to qualify for Canada Student Grants and Loans, and allows more flexibility and individual financial assessment in the application process. This change expanded access to federal grants for approximately 64,800 students in the 2018 to 2019 school year.

We have also been working to increase workforce participation, especially for women and under-represented groups. To improve gender equality in the workforce, programs such as the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for women and the Women in Construction Fund help more women enter into the trades and provide opportunities to complete apprenticeship training in Red Seal programs. In close collaboration with Indigenous partners, the department co-developed a new Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program to replace the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy. Its goal is to increase participation of First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban/non-affiliated Indigenous people in the labour market by providing a variety of tailored supports that will help them to develop and upgrade their skills, and improve their employability and participation in the labour force.

As we continue to build on Canada’s economic growth, we are making sure Canadians are equipped with the skills needed to adapt to changing labour markets. Job seekers, workers and employers will need to incorporate new technology and prepare for transitions within the workplace, key factors in developing Canada’s long-term economic prosperity. A Future Skills Council was established to explore emerging skills and workforce trends, while a Future Skills Centre was created to test and evaluate innovative approaches to skills assessment and development. This is part of the government’s plan to ensure all Canadians have the skills needed to find and keep good quality jobs.

On a global level, Employment and Social Development Canada is committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our department is leading the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Canada. Through the recently created Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program, a total of $1.5 million was granted to 19 organizations to improve support and action these sustainable development goals.

It is important that Canadians feel safe and secure in their work environments. Recent amendments to the Canada Labour Code will help ensure workplaces are not only safe and healthy but also fair and inclusive. A new framework will require employers to prevent incidents of harassment and violence, and modernized labour standards will help set the stage for good-quality jobs. This is particularly true for the most vulnerable workers, such as those in part-time, temporary or low-wage jobs. The department continues work on new compliance and enforcement measures to ensure these and other important measures are respected. Work is also ongoing to advance equal pay for work of equal value, increase pay transparency, and enhance the Wage Earner Protection Program.

The government strives to deliver high quality, accessible, secure and digitally enabled services to Canadians. To this end, Employment and Social Development Canada has made significant advancements through the service transformation agenda. We provided better access to programs and services in remote Indigenous communities. We also improved in-person services to allow over 2,700 clients to get faster service, through virtual assistance from staff located in 24 supporting Service Canada Centres and launched the mobile Job Bank application.

ESDC is committed to continuing to work on these important priorities. By adopting a spirit of innovation, we will continue to modernize our programs and services in order to serve Canadians through all of life’s transitions.

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

The Honourable Filomena Tassi, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Labour

The Honourable Deb Schulte, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Seniors

Figure 1: Results at a glance
Figure 1: Results at a glance
Text description of figure 1:

This infographic presents ten numerical results of the department for 2018 to 2019.

  • 1) $122.9 billion directly benefitted Canadians through Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and other transfer payment programs
  • 2) There has been 529.7 million visits to mobile-friendly Canada.ca
  • 3) 97% of labour disputes in federally regulated workplaces were settled without a work stoppage as part of the collective bargaining process
  • 4) 7.1 million calls were answered by specialized call centres
  • 5) The client satisfaction rate is 86%
  • 6) 705,000 full-time post-secondary student received federal financial assistance
  • 7) Number of applications processed by program:
    Employment Insurance: 2.8 million
    Old Age Security: 948,962
    Canada Pension Plan: 651,555
  • 8) 2.9 million passports were issued
  • 9) There has been 8.4 million in-person visits to Service Canada Centres and scheduled outreach sites
  • 10) 669 Indigenous communities were visited to raise awareness about Government of Canada programs

Employment and Social Development Canada includes the Labour Program and Service Canada. This report shows how the department achieved the results planned in its Departmental Plan for fiscal year 2018 to 2019Footnote i. The report gathers the information under 6 Core Responsibilities, stated in the Departmental Results Framework:

  1. Social Development
  2. Pensions and Benefits
  3. Learning, Skills Development and Employment
  4. Working Conditions and Workplace Relations
  5. Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments
  6. Internal Services

Funds and people involved

From April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019, the department:

Service excellence throughout the department

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department put into place many solutions to promote excellence in client service delivery, by:

In pursuit of further improvements to services

Hosted contact centre solution

The department moved 1 of its 3 Specialized Call Centres to a new telephone system (Hosted Contact Centre Solution). This will ensure faster and better quality services to Canadians. The department will apply the lessons learned from this migration to the migration of the remaining call centres.

The department also tested how easily clients could use the new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. Most feedback from clients was positive. They found the systems easy and practical. Clients did flag concerns about the length and complexity of some recorded messages, which the department then simplified.

Benefits delivery modernization

The Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme aims to put in place tools and ways of doing business to serve clients better. In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department progressed on setting the groundwork for the programme. This included research, detailed planning of activities and procurement, and consultations with clients. This work will serve as a basis to develop and implement a modern benefit delivery model.

Integrated service management agenda

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department delivered a channel management strategy. This strategy examines how clients access our services and aims to ensure everyone receives the same type of service in a single interaction, whether they come in person, use the phone, or go online. A Quality Framework was developed for the entire department, which reinforces the commitment to deliver the benefits to which clients are entitled. Better quality means fewer errors, less revisions, and more efficient service delivery. In addition, a Performance Measurement Framework was developed, which allows the department to measure, monitor, and report on service performance, towards improving the quality of services delivered to Canadians.

Service Canada undertook extensive consultations as it began a refresh of its service excellence workforce framework. This framework will help ensure a confident, capable and skilled workforce and that the right people are recruited and retained to support improved service delivery to Canadians.

Service standards

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department developed Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Canada Pension Plan Disability, and Old Age Security service standard information for program webpages, which included conducting plain language assessments and client testing.

The information gathered from this exercise is informing our way forward. It helps us understand how to present program performance in a way that ensures the standards are described in relevant and meaningful ways to clients.

Client-centred Social Security Tribunal

The Social Security Tribunal Review became public in January 2018. It examined recourse processes related to Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security programs. The review recommended ways to take clients needs into account and to make processes faster and simpler.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department validated those recommendations with employers, unions, seniors, persons with disabilities and law specialists.

The department and the Social Security Tribunal then put in place many measures proposed in the review. They modified the content of the website to better assist clients. They simplified the forms to make them more user-friendly. They adjusted the recruitment process for tribunal members by putting more emphasis on client-orientation.

In January 2019, the tribunal changed the way in which it schedules hearings. In most cases, clients can choose the form of hearing they prefer (telephone, videoconference, in-person or in writing). In addition, the tribunal now schedules the hearings faster and releases decisions earlier. Finally, as more decisions are published, clients can better understand the types of cases heard and how decisions are made.

For more information on Employment and Social Development Canada’s plans, priorities and results achieved, are presented below, by Core Responsibility.

Social Development

Description

This Core Responsibility focuses on increasing inclusion and opportunities for Canadians to participate in their communities.

The programs found in the department’s Social Development core responsibility are aligned with the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being pillar of the Gender Results Framework. These programs provide funding to organizations that try to improve the situation of underrepresented groups in the labour market. These people are, for example, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants and youth. The department has developed these programs using a Gender-Based Analysis Plus lens in order to consider the various experiences and barriers these different groups face.

Results

Homelessness in Canada is prevented and reduced

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, a total of $157.5 million in grants and contributions were invested under the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. Communities used this funding to address local homelessness priorities through projects that:

Through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, organizations were able to place 4,118 people in more stable housing in fiscal year 2018 to 2019Footnote 2. Over 60,000 people have been placed in stable housing since fiscal year 2014 to 2015.

In 2017, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $2.2 billion over 10 years to expand and extend federal homelessness programming, in support of the National Housing Strategy. By fiscal year 2021 to 2022, this will double annual investments in homelessness compared to fiscal year 2015 to 2016.

The efforts of the Government to reduce poverty have already shown results. Canada has reduced poverty by 20% and reached its 2020 target 3 years early. This means about 825,000 less people living in poverty than in 2015.

On April 1, 2019, Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy replaced the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. Reaching Home delivers funding directly to municipalities and local service providers to support their efforts in preventing and reducing homelessness. The program supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal year 2027 to 2028.

On August 21, 2018, the department launched Opportunity for All, Canada’s first Poverty Reduction StrategyFootnote ii. The strategy introduced:

These measures were part of the Poverty Reduction Act, included in the Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1.

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

The Children and Families component of the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP-CH) supports government priorities related to children and families and other vulnerable populations. SDPP-CH funded projects directly benefitted 39,000 vulnerable Canadians (children, youth and adults) in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. In that same fiscal year, 83% of funded organizations raised money from partners other than the federal government. This enhanced their capacity to address a range of social issues. On average, for every dollar received from the SDPP-CH, the funded organizations received $0.94 from other partners.

As part of its renewal, the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP-D) completed a call for proposals in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This process identified organizations that would receive funds starting on April 1, 2019. It followed from consultations held with the disability community in fiscal year 2016 to 2017. These consultations led to a framework to enhance fairness, transparency, accountability and predictability in funding. As a result of the new call for proposals, more national disability organizations than ever will share the $18 million available over the next 3 years.

The government also announced additional funding for SDPP-D in 2019 to support the following goals:

Towards the end of fiscal year 2018 to 2019, targeted organizations were invited to submit proposals to the SDPP-D for projects contributing to these goals. This process allowed projects to receive funding in time to begin as early as April 1, 2019.

The Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group published its reportFootnote iii in August 2018. Following the report, the 2018 Fall Economic Statement proposed to establish a Social Finance Fund, which was confirmed in Budget 2019. This fund will provide repayable funding to external fund managers selected through a competitive solicitation process. These fund managers will, in turn, invest in social finance intermediaries that provide direct financing to social purpose organizations (SPOs). Over 10 years, starting in fiscal year 2020 to 2021, the government will make available up to $755 million for that fund. This will improve access to capital among SPOs and attract new private capital onto the social finance market. In doing so, it will mobilize new financial resources to help communities reach the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. For example, the Social Finance Fund could enable social finance intermediaries, such as Alberta’s Social Enterprise Fund or the Saint John Community Loan Fund, leverage capital currently sitting in foundations’ endowments. This capital could then be invested into social purpose businesses that address unemployment by hiring and training persons facing barriers to employment.

In addition, the government is investing $50 million over 2 years (beginning in fiscal year 2019 to 2020) in an Investment Readiness Program (IRP). The IRP is a 2-year pilot program designed to advance Social Innovation and Social Finance in Canada. It builds on existing supports to catalyze community-led solutions to persistent social and environmental challenges. The pilot will provide time-limited investments to support a broad range of Social Purpose Organizations (for example, non-profits, charities, co-operatives, hybrid social enterprises, and mission focused for-profits). It will help them improve their capacity and ability to participate in the social finance market and access new investment and contract opportunities. It will also support them throughout the innovation cycle. Lessons from the pilot will inform future direction on how best to support and mobilize the social finance sector.

In its Budget 2019, the government announced other complementary investments:

The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) addresses the continued needs of Canada’s growing seniors population. Through the NHSP, community-based projects reach a diverse range of seniors across Canada. In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the NHSP funded approximately 2,000 projects across Canada. These projects helped to ensure that seniors could benefit from, and contribute to, the quality of life in their communities. They did so by encouraging active living and participation in social activities. An estimated 800,000 people benefitted from NHSP-funded projects carried out in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. In line with the objectives of the program, almost all funded projects reported an increase in their organization’s capacity to:

Budget 2019 included additional funding of $20 million per year for the New Horizons for Seniors Program. This funding will allow the program to extend support for the social inclusion of seniors.

Community spaces and workplaces are more accessible

The department provided funding to 473 projects through the Enabling Accessibility Fund, including under its new Youth Innovation Component. These projects increased access to community spaces, services and programs, and workplaces for people with disabilities.

The Government of Canada tabled in Parliament the Accessible Canada Act (which received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 and came into force on July 11, 2019). The purpose of this act is the proactive identification, removal, and prevention of barriers to accessibility in areas such as:

The government will provide about $290 million over 6 years to projects and programs related to the Accessible Canada Act. through a range of federal initiatives and programs, including the establishment of the Accessibility Secretariat at ESDC. The department reviewed the way it delivers services online, in person and over the phone. Following this review, the department prepared a 5-year roadmap to make its client services more accessible. This roadmap includes consultations with clients, especially persons with disabilities, to define what improvements the department will put in place and to ensure they will meet clients’ needs.

Access to early learning and child care is increased

In June 2017, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers most responsible for early learning and child care agreed to a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care FrameworkFootnote iv. The government is investing $7.5 billion over 11 years in early learning and child care under this framework. The goal is to raise the quality of early learning and childcare services and make them more accessible, affordable, flexible and inclusive. Also, of the total sum, the government will use:

The Government of Canada entered into bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories. It will provide $1,2 billion over 3 years for early learning and child care programs.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department started providing this money to not-for-profit organizations, provincial or territorial bodies. These organizations have used the funds to tackle barriers faced by children, families and other vulnerable populations.

In September 2018, the Government of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Métis National Council jointly released the co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework.Footnote vThe framework reflects the unique cultures, aspirations and priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children across Canada. In support of the Indigenous framework, the Government of Canada has committed $1.7 billion over 10 years to strengthen early learning and child care programs and services for Indigenous children and families, starting in fiscal year 2018 to 2019.

The Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework complements investments being made under the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the government supported early learning and child care priorities set by Indigenous communities. Nearly $100 million in new funding reached First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation communities through agreements with the department and other federal partner departments. These agreements resulted in:

Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

The department continued to improve services and simplify processes for its grants and contributions programs in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. For example, to ease administration and simplify client interactions, the department:

On a global scale

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the Government of Canada created the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Unit, located in the department. This unit serves as a central point for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda in Canada. The SDG Unit is responsible for:

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department granted a total of $1.5 million to 19 organizations through the SDG Funding Program. The projects improved support and action on the sustainable development goals by:

The department worked closely with the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) to plan and host the 2018 OECD Social Policy Forum. This forum was chaired by the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, then Minister of Families, Children and Social Development alongside the OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría. The department also organized the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the theme Social Policy for Shared Prosperity: Embracing the Future. These 2 events were held in Montréal on May 14 and 15, 2018.

This ministerial meeting occurs every 5 to 6 years, and this was the first time that the OECD had hosted it outside of its Headquarters in Paris.

Over 350 participants, including international Ministers, representatives of provincial and territorial governments, social partners, academics, civil society and Indigenous organizations attended the Social Policy Forum on May 14. Participants for the Ministerial Meeting on the following day included social policy Ministers and representatives from 47 OECD and partner countries. Given the close alignment between departmental priorities and OECD work in the area of social policy, this international priority-setting policy dialogue was an important achievement for the department and Canada. The main outcome of the event was a Ministerial Statement, which sets the priorities for the OECD’s work on employment, labour and social affairs for the next 5 years.

Results achieved
Departmental results Performance indicators Target Date to achieve target 2018 to 2019 actual results 2017 to 2018 actual results 2016 to 2017 actual results
Homelessness in Canada is reduced and prevented Reduction in the estimated number of shelter users who are episodically or chronically homeless 20% reduction from 2013 baseline of 1,988 by fiscal year
2018 to 2019
March 31, 2019 Not available1   Not available1 6.7% increase (2,121 shelter users in 2016 over the 2013 baseline of 1,988)2
Not-for-profit organizations, communities and other groups have an enhanced capacity to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the engagement of seniors and support for children and families For every dollar invested through the Social Development Partnerships Program, amount leveraged/invested by non-federal partners3 $0.30 to $1.00 March 31, 2019 Through the Children and Families Component:
$0.94
Through the Disability Component:
$0.32
Through the Children and Families Component:
$1.024
Through the Disability Component:
$0.22
Through the Children and Families Component:
$1.33
Through the Disability Component:
$0.32
Community spaces and workplaces are more accessible Number of community spaces and workplaces that are more accessible due to Enabling Accessibility Fund funding 637
*Target considers new funding envelope of $20.65M. Target = 533 small projects +100 youth-driven projects and 4 mid-sized projects.
March 2019 4735 609 575
Access to early learning and child care is increased Number of children in regulated child care spaces and/or early learning programs Fiscal year 2017 to 2018 was the baseline year6   Not available7 21,205 combined total for both indicators Not available
  Number of children receiving subsidies or other financial supports Fiscal year 2017 to 2018 was the baseline year   Not available8 21,205 combined total for both indicators Not available
Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (Social Development) Service standard target for Social Development program priority service, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, was met 1 out of 1 March 2019 1 out of 1 1 out of 1 Not available8

The following table compares actual spending to planned spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Amounts between brackets in the last column “Difference (Actual spending minus Planned spending)” indicate that the department spent less than projected during that fiscal year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
Spending category 2018 to 2019
Main estimates
2018 to 2019
Planned spending
2018 to 2019
Total authorities available for use
2018 to 2019
Actual spending
(authorities used)
2018 to 2019
Difference
(actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross Spending 718,598,615 718,598,615 762,083,119 716,719,128 (1,879,487)
Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 0 0 0 0
Revenues netted against expenditures 0 0 0 0 0
Net Spending 718,598,615 718,598,615 762,083,119 716,719,128 (1,879,487)
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
2018 to 2019 Planned full-time equivalents 2018 to 2019 Actual full-time equivalents 2018 to 2019 Difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
386 382 (4)

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

Pensions and Benefits

Description

This Core Responsibility seeks to assist Canadians in maintaining income for retirement, and provide financial benefits to survivors, people with disabilities and their families.

The programs found in the department’s Pensions and Benefits core responsibility include the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and the Canada Disability Savings Program. They are aligned with the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being pillar of the Gender Results Framework. These programs provide income support to Canadians to help them maintain their standard of living during retirement. They also help to improve living standards of people who are at an increased risk of living in poverty. These include seniors, widows, women that must take time off work to care for dependents, and persons with disabilities.

Results

Seniors have income support for retirement

As per the most recent data available (2016), 97% of eligible seniors received the Old Age Security pension and 91% received the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). Various measures taken to improve living conditions of Canadian seniors, persons with disabilities and their families are described below. In total, the department delivered $40.4 billion in Old Age Security benefits, $12.4 billion in Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits, and $46.5 billion in Canada Pension Plan benefits in fiscal year 2018 to 2019.

On January 1, 2019, the enhancement of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) began its 7-year phase-in. The CPP enhancement increases the retirement, disability and survivor benefits of Canadians who contribute to the Plan in 2019 or later. This enhancement increases the earnings replacement provided by the Plan as well as the range of covered earnings. Benefits will gradually increase as Canadians work and contribute to the CPP enhancement.

The fully enhanced Canada Pension Plan will increase the maximum retirement pension by more than 50%.

To align with the start of the CPP enhancement, a CPP reform package also took effect on January 1, 2019. The reform package:

These reforms particularly impact women as they are more likely than men to become survivors at a younger age. They are also more likely to take time off work to provide childcare and to receive a disability pension.

The department automatically enrolled approximately 15,000 seniors each month, eliminating their need to apply for the monthly OAS pension benefits and GIS benefits. To support seniors who are not eligible for automatic enrolment, the department eliminated the need to complete 2 separate applications. There is now a joint OAS/GIS application. The department also updated the online OAS toolkit, which presents information in a clear way to ensure clients, and those who support them (for example, advocates and non-government organizations), understand the program, benefits, eligibility and how to apply.

People with disabilities and their families have financial support

The department continued to raise awareness and increase take-up of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) through the Canada Disability Savings Program. To do so, the program used targeted mail-outs, participated at disability related events across Canada and held teleconferences for those eligible to open a RDSP.

By the end of December 2018, 184,648 people had opened a RDSP. Since the beginning of the program, the government has paid a total of $2.2 billion in Canada Disability Savings Grants. It also paid $997.1 million in Canada Disability Savings Bonds into the RDSP’s of eligible Canadians with disabilities to help ensure their long-term financial security.

Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

The department improved the services offered to clients under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the Old Age Security (OAS) program and simplified the Canada Pension Plan Disability application process. The department also launched a new Terminal Illness application form to simplify and streamline the application process for this vulnerable group. The form also increases accuracy and consistency in the identification of terminal cases.

To assist clients in requesting a reconsideration of the initial decision on their application, the department produced a new Request for Reconsideration form. The form also improves the department’s ability to recognize reconsideration requests when received.

The department also added online services for CPP and OAS. Clients can go online to modify information, view details of their payments, and allow the department to communicate with an authorized third party. In addition, based on consultations with key stakeholders, the department developed an online Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D) toolkit. This toolkit is available to clients, third-party organizations and health professionals. The toolkit presents information in a clear way so that Canadians can more easily understand the CPP-D program and how to apply for CPP-D. Also, the toolkit provides Canadians with an interactive eligibility map to determine if a client might be eligible for the benefit or not.

Results achieved
Departmental results Performance indicators Target Date to achieve target 2018 to 2019 actual results 2017 to 2018 actual results 2016 to 2017 actual results
Seniors have income support for retirement Percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security (OAS) pension in relation to the total number of eligible seniors OAS pensions paid to all eligible seniors in 98% of cases March 31, 20191 (2016) 97%2 (2015) 97% (2014) 98%
Percentage of seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) in relation to the total number of eligible seniors GIS benefits paid to all eligible seniors in 90% of cases March 31, 20191 (2016) 91% (2015) 91% (2014) 88%
Percentage of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributors aged 70+ receiving retirement benefits CPP retirement benefits paid to eligible beneficiaries after age 70 in 99% of cases March 31, 20193 (2017) 99% (2016) 99% (2015) 99%
Percentage of seniors living in low income4 No target as it is a contextual indicator5 Not applicable (2017) 4.3% (2016) 4.7% (2015) 4.4%
People with disabilities and their families have financial support Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors who have contributory eligibility for Canada Pension Plan disability benefits and therefore have access to financial support in the event of a severe and prolonged disability 68% of Canada Pension Plan contributors meet the contributory eligibility requirements for the Canada Pension Plan disability benefit March 31, 2019 (2017) 63%5 (2016) 66% (2015) 66%
Percentage of Canadians eligible for the Disability Tax Credit who have a Registered Disability Savings Plan to encourage private savings 33% for Fiscal year 2018 to 2019 December 31, 2018 34% 31% 29%
Percentage of Canadians with disabilities eligible for a Registered Disability Savings Program that have received a grant and/or a bond to assist them and their families to save for their long-term financial security 84% for 2018 (by calendar year)6 December 31, 2018 83%7 85% 86%
Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (pensions and benefits) Number of service standard targets for Pensions and Benefits program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met 10 out of 109 March 31, 2019 5 out of 10Footnote vii 3 out of 10 7 out of 10
Percentage of Canada Pension Plan retirement benefits paid within the first month of entitlement 90% March 31, 2019 96% 96% 97%
Percentage of decisions on applications for a Canada Pension Plan disability benefit within 120 calendar days8 80% March 31, 2019 63%9 77% 84%
Percentage of Old Age Security basic benefits paid within the first month of entitlement 90% March 31, 2019 92% 87% 87%

The following table compares actual spending to planned spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Amounts between brackets in the last column “Difference (Actual spending minus Planned spending)” indicate that the department spent less than projected during that fiscal year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
Spending category fiscal year 2018 to 2019
main estimates
2018 to 2019
planned spending
2018 to 2019
total authorities available for use
2018 to 2019
actual spending
(authorities used)
2018 to 2019
difference
(actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending 54,813,963,588 101,826,497,339 100,981,495,844 100,963,229,259 (863,268,080)
Spending in specified purpose accounts 0 47,012,533,751 46,541,957,593 46,541,857,593 (470,676,158)
Revenues netted against expenditures 240,864,504 240,864,504 257,723,130 239,456,545 (1,407,959)
Net spending 54,573,099,084 54,573,099,084 54,181,815,121 54,181,915,121 (391,183,963)
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
2018 to 2019 planned full-time equivalents 2018 to 2019 actual full-time equivalents 2018 to 2019 difference
(actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
5,019 5,333 314

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

Learning, skills development and employment

Description

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

Results

The department exceeded many of its program targets to help Canadians access education and training and to support an inclusive and efficient workforce. The following demonstrates the initiatives undertaken by the department to support this core responsibility.

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

Creating new work placements for students

The department helped post-secondary students obtain paid work experience related to their field of study. In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the Student Work Placement Program supported the creation of 2,543 student work placements, of which 49% have been for students from under-represented groups (women in STEM, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, newcomers to Canada) and first-year students. The placements are part of the 11,500 new work placements that the department is committed to creating over 4 years in partnership with employers and post-secondary institutions. They will include up to 1,500 new work positions in the cybersecurity and artificial intelligence fields.

Supporting apprenticeship training and access to skilled trades

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department created the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women and the Women in Construction Fund. The grant encourages women to enter, progress, and complete their apprenticeship training in Red Seal trades, where they are under-represented. As of March 2019, the department issued over 1,100 of these grants. The Women in Construction Fund will provide women with mentoring, coaching and tailored support to help them enter, progress through their training, find and retain jobs and succeed in these trades.

Under the new Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women and the Apprenticeship Completion Grant, women could receive a combined $8,000 in support of their training in Red Seal trades.

In spring 2018, the department launched the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program to encourage Canadians, including those from under-represented groups, to:

The Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) supports union-based apprenticeship training, innovation and enhanced partnership in the Red Seal trades. Under the Union Training and Innovation Program, the department provided $14.6 million in funding to projects, which:

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department also provided $4.8 million in UTIP funding to the Government of Quebec.

The department also worked with Infrastructure Canada to support apprenticeship in federal infrastructure projects funded under the Government’s Investing in Canada Plan. Each year, Infrastructure Canada requires provinces and territories to report on their progress against project-level targets, including employment of apprentices. Applicants for major projects set and pursue targets for employment of apprentices and people from at least 3 of the following groups: apprentices, persons in designated equity groups, veterans, youth, recent immigrants, and small-sized, medium-sized, and social enterprises.

Facilitating access to lifelong learning and adults upskilling

Budget 2018 committed the department to continue supporting upskilling and creating a culture of lifelong learning by implementing the Skills Boost initiative. This will ensure that adults, including those with families, can adapt to a changing job market and economy. Adult learners who are looking to return to post-secondary education to upgrade their skills now have access to enhanced measures. These are related to Employment Insurance flexibilities and student financial assistance, and include the following:

Supporting worker flexibility and adaptability

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department continued the transition toward the next generation of labour market transfer agreements with provinces and territories. Eligibility for programs and services under the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) was expanded. In addition to active Employment Insurance claimants and former Employment Insurance claimants, the new definition of insured participants under the Employment Insurance Act now includes individuals who have paid minimum Employment Insurance premiums in at least 5 of the last 10 years.

This new definition helped an increased number of Canadians, including those from under-represented groups, to have access to employment programming and supports.

The department also implemented the new Workforce Development Agreements which consolidated:

These agreements simplify transfers to provinces and territories and provide the flexibility to better respond to local labour market needs.

During fiscal years 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019, the department made additional targeted funding of $50 million available to provinces and territories through their LMDAs. These investments were part of Canada’s Softwood Lumber Action Plan. These funds were used to provide skills training and employment assistance to workers affected by trade disputes in the forest sector.

Targeted supports were also set to assist workers in seasonal industries who experienced a gap in income between seasons. To ensure timely access to programs and services, the department provided $10 million in immediate income support and training to seasonal workers in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Quebec through the Literacy and Essential Skills program.

As well, during fiscal years 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020, the department provided an additional $41 million through the LMDAs to help provinces and territories provide skills training and employment supports. It also made available $50 million to provinces to support displaced workers affected by U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum products.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the Future Skills initiative was launched to bring together knowledge from partners across the country. This initiative helps to respond to the fast pace of technological change in the workplace. It also ensures that skills programs meet the changing needs of jobseekers, workers and employers. The initiative includes a ministerial advisory council that helps to prioritize areas for action on emerging skills and workforce trends across Canada. Additionally, there is an arm’s length to government applied research centre that assists in developing, testing and measuring new approaches to skills assessment and development.

Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market

Improving labour market outcomes for Indigenous people

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department funded 85 Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy contribution recipients which helped 50,082 clients. In the same fiscal year, the program helped 16,463 Indigenous people find employment and 8,086 return to school.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department co-developed the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program with Indigenous partners. It includes 4 distinct streams tailored to meet the specific needs of First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban/non-affiliated Indigenous people. The program will help them develop and upgrade their skills, and improve their employability and participation in the labour force. Implementation of this program, which replaced the previous Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy, started in April 2019.

The Temiskaming Native Women’s Support Group developed, and is currently testing, a gender-specific and culturally rooted training platform. The goal is that 120 participants become employed.

The department also provided funding to 52 projects through the Skills and Partnership Fund. These projects support skills development and job training that meet local labour market demands. They produced the following results:

The fund also includes testing innovative approaches to provide labour market training and improving employment outcomes for Indigenous people.

Increasing opportunities for youth

A total of 86,353 young people participated in projects funded under the Youth Employment Strategy in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Of note, YES created 1,529 green jobs through the Summer Work Experience program stream, and 325 green jobs through the Career Focus stream, bringing the total number to 1,854. YES also served 5,120 clients through Skills Link incremental funding. These initiatives helped vulnerable youth overcome employment barriers and gain the experience they need to transition into the labour market.

In Summer 2018, the number of summer job opportunities available to students through Canada Summer Jobs doubled from 35,000 in 2015 to over 70,000.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, based on recommendations of the Expert Panel on Youth Employment, the department worked to modernize the Youth Employment Strategy. This work led to the launch of the new Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) in June 2019. This modernized strategy will help youth achieve their potential within an evolving labour market through more flexible services, broader eligibility and greater support for youth facing barriers to employment.

The department also concluded the design phase of the Canada Service Corps, where best practices for engaging youth were identified. Following the pilot, full implementation of the program began. As of March 31, 2019, the Canada Service Corps helped put over 1,920 youth into service placements, surpassing the design phase target of 1,125 by March 2019. It also delivered 1,000 micro-grants to youth.

Create an efficient labour market

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department continued to improve the Temporary Foreign Worker Program through various initiatives, including:

Over 1,100 Canadian companies used the Global Talent Stream to obtain approval for the hiring of about 4,800 highly skilled foreign workers in in-demand occupations. This included positions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and in digital media fields. In return for expedited access, employers set out measurable commitments to create lasting benefits for the Canadian labour market. As of March 31, 2019, these employers have created over 24,000 jobs for Canadians and over 3,900 paid co-op positions. They have also invested more than $12.8 million in skills and training for Canadians and permanent residents. Building on the success of the pilot, Budget 2019 announced that the new Global Talent stream will become permanent under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department continued to support the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Linkage Platform by providing administrative support, funding, and program data access to Statistics Canada, who manages the platform. The goal was to improve the quality of career information and make program results accessible to all Canadians. Since November 2018, qualified researchers can access longitudinal data that links education and training to employment outcomes.

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

The new rules for the Employment Insurance Act’s Working While on Claim provisions became permanent on August 12, 2018. These rules encourage claimants to work by allowing them to continue receiving partial Employment Insurance benefits along with their earnings. The Working While on Claim provisions were extended to Employment Insurance sickness and maternity benefits claimants. This provides recipients with more flexibility when managing their return to work.

The department also launched the Employment Insurance Parental Sharing Benefit measure on March 17, 2019. This measure provides up to 5 additional weeks of benefits to parents who choose the standard 35-week parental leave option, for a total of 40 weeks. If parents choose the extended option, paid at a lower rate over 61 weeks, they receive up to 8 additional weeks, for a total of 69 weeks.

More students from low and middle income families access and participate in post-secondary education

Education savings incentives

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department continued to help Canadians access and save for post-secondary education by increasing the take-up of the education savings incentives. More specifically, the department funded a series of innovative projects that will further increase awareness and take-up of the Canada Learning Bond through innovative approaches. The department also supported the first year of implementation of the Education Savings Referral Service with ServiceOntario. This service allows parents of newborns to request information about RESPs when registering the birth of their child. The department continues to monitor the impact of this new online referral service.

Student financial assistance

The department amended the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act to allow students registered under the Indian Act, but without Canadian citizenship, to access the Canada Student Loans Program, including both repayable and non-repayable student financial assistance. This makes post-secondary education more accessible and affordable for Indigenous students.

Vulnerable youth

The department renewed investments in Pathways to Education CanadaFootnote ix, a charitable organization with the mission of breaking the cycle of poverty through education. The aim of this after-school program is to increase graduation rates among youth at risk of dropping out of high school. To help more at-risk youth graduate, the organization continued expanding its programs to reach more participants, including more Indigenous participants. One of the program’s objectives also includes encouraging at-risk youth to pursue post-secondary education or to transition directly into the labour market.

Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

The department updated the Career HandbookFootnote x to align with the 2016 version of the National Occupational Classification. The Career Handbook provides information on the skills, abilities, personal attributes, and knowledge required for jobs. The department also launched LMI ExploreFootnote xi, a new approach to visually present employment outlooks and wage information online.

The department launched the first phase of a new electronic service delivery system to enhance the delivery of Canada Student Loans. All new full-time students can now validate their identity and submit their loan agreements online. As of March 31, 2019, approximately 264,000 or 99% of new full-time students had taken advantage of this online service.

Experimental approaches to policy and research

The department undertook many projects in line with the Government of Canada’s commitment to improve programs and services through experimentation. As an example, the Canada Education Savings Program (CESP) regularly mails letters to the primary caregivers of children eligible for the Canada Learning Bond (CLB). These letters notify caregivers of their child’s eligibility and indicate how to request the bond. To find which letters are the most efficient for various groups, the department conducted seven separate mail-out trials in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. These trials were conducted in collaboration with the Innovation Lab and provincial and community partners. These trials allowed the program to determine how to tailor messages to specific groups to reach the maximum efficiency.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department worked on 7 different experiments with letters to increase the uptake of the Canada Learning Bond. The most successful letter targeted the hardest to reach population. It resulted in a 8.8% take-up of the Canada Learning Bond, compared to a 5.7% take-up from the standard departmental letter — an increase of 54%. Overall, the experiments have resulted in continuous improvements to the letters, leading to an increase in take-up rates of up to 14%.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the Chief Data Office led initiatives to develop advanced analytical capacity in the department. The department is exploring new technologies like machine learning, sentiment analysis and natural language processing to enable proactive decision-making and automate manual processes. Since 2016, the Chief Data Office has been hosting machine-learning seminars. These seminars introduced concepts like machine learning models and deep learning that create a practical environment for employees to develop their skills and apply new techniques to their work.

In June 2018, the department concluded a series of activities with the Commissioners for Employers and Workers and key stakeholders. These included employers, payroll experts, Canadian Payroll Association, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Canadian Labour Congress, and Canada Revenue Agency. These activities contributed to the development of a conceptual service model for a real-time payroll information service (ePayroll). The co-design activities indicated that there is potential for the department to use payroll and employment data to administer the Employment Insurance program. To do so would require both policy and operational changes, in collaboration with other government departments. The conceptual service model also signaled potential for the department to reduce the administrative burden for employers, clients and government.

On an international level

A series of Ministerial meetings took place in advance of the G7 Leaders’ Summit, held in Canada on June 8 to 9, 2018. The department worked closely with Global Affairs Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and other departments in the lead up to the G7 Employment and Innovation Ministerial meeting, which focused on the future of work. The outcomes of the Ministerial meeting held on March 27 to 28, 2018 informed the G7 Leaders’ discussions at the Summit. For example, G7 Employment Ministers established a time-limited G7 Employment Task Force to undertake targeted research and analyses, and made recommendations on priority issues for G7 countries related to the future of work. They launched the G7 Future of Work Forum, a digital tool that will support the work of the Task Force. Employment Ministers also agreed to promote domestic and international tools to address the issue of violence and harassment in the workplace.

Results achieved
Departmental results Performance indicators Target Date to achieve target fiscal year 2018 to 2019 actual results 2017 to 2018 actual results 2016 to 2017 actual results
Canadians access education, training and life-long learning supports to gain the skills and work experience they need Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports Federally delivered programs 150,5621
Provincial and territorial (P/T) delivered programs set their own annual targets
March 31, 2019 Federally delivered Programs
148,2282
P/T delivered programs
Not available4
Federally delivered Programs
140,7713
P/T delivered programs
695,9114
Federally delivered Programs
136,2373
P/T delivered programs
734,3094
Employment or returns to school following training/supports Federally delivered programs
95,0885
Provincial and territorial (P/T) delivered programs set their own annual targets
March 31, 2019 Federally delivered programs
115,1555
P/T delivered programs
Not available6
Federally delivered programs
110,5365
P/T delivered programs
177,3356
Federally delivered programs
107,6155
P/T delivered programs
187,1726
Percentage of Canadians aged 18 to 24 that are enrolled in university or college 43.5% December 31, 20187 43.8% 43.5% 42.4%
Percentage change in Canadians aged 25 to 64 enrolled in university or college 0.5% decrease to 0.5% increase December 31, 20187 3.2% increase8 1.2% decrease 1.7% decrease
Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market9 Employment rate for Canadians 61.2% March 31, 2019 61.6% 61.6% 61.2%
Employment rate for Indigenous peoples off reserve 56.7% March 31, 2019 57.4% 57.4% 56.7%
Employment rate for Indigenous peoples on-reserve Not available March 31, 2019 Not available Not available 38.6%10 (2016)
Employment rate for recent immigrants 58.2% March 31, 2019 60.3% 59.3% 58.2%
Employment rate for persons with disabilities 49.0% (for persons with disabilities age 25 to 64 (2012)) March 31, 2019 Not available11 59.3% (2017) Not available11
Employment rate for youth 55.6% March 31, 2019 56.4% 56.7% 55.6%
Employment rate for women 57.5% March 31, 2019 58.0% 57.9% 57.5%
Employment rate for older Canadians 35.5% March 31, 2019 35.9% 35.9% 35.5%
Employment rate for lone parents 71.1% March 31, 2019 73.3%
(2018)
72.9%
(2017)
71.1%
(2016)
Unemployment-to-job vacancies (ratio)12 3.5 March 31, 2019 2.08 2.50 3.5
More students from low- and middle-income families access and participate in post-secondary education Proportion of low- and middle-income Canadian young adults participating in post-secondary education 52.5% December 31, 201813 Not available14
(2016)
52.1%
(2015)
52.1%
(2014)
Number of beneficiaries with a Registered Education Savings Plan withdrawal that have ever received an additional Canada Education Savings Grant which assists low- and middle-income families to save for their child’s education No target – baseline year15   December 31, 201816   110,435 98,77117 87,08317  
Percentage of full‑time students (aged 15-29) who used federal student financial assistance to help finance their participation in post-secondary education As a need-based program, no target is set18 Not applicable18 55% 53% 48%
Canadians receive financial support during employment transitions such as job loss, illness or maternity/parental leave Percentage of eligible unemployed workers supported by Employment Insurance 83.7% March 31, 2019 Not available19 84.3% 85.4%
Percentage of Employment Insurance claimants finding employment before the end of their benefit entitlement 73-75% March 31, 2019 Not available20 66.3% 65.1%
Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (Learning, Skills Development and Employment) Number of service standard targets for Learning, Skills Development and Employment program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met 23 out of 23Footnote xii March 31, 2019 16 out of 2321 Not available Not available
Percentage of Employment Insurance benefit payments or non-benefit notifications issued within 28 days of filing Minimum of 80% March 31, 2019 80% 82% 83%
Percentage of Social Insurance Numbers applied for through the Newborn Registration Service issued within 10 business days 90% March 31, 201922 100% 100% 100%

The following table compares actual spending to planned spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Amounts between brackets in the last column “Difference (Actual spending minus Planned spending)” indicate that the department spent less than projected during that fiscal year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
Spending category fiscal year 2018 to 2019
main estimates
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
planned spending
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
total authorities available for use
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
actual spending
(authorities used)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
difference
(actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending 5,952,716,925 26,895,560,973 25,741,428,191 25,597,959,995 (1,297,600,978)
Spending in Specified Purpose Accounts 0 20,942,844,048 18,906,790,548 18,906,790,548 (2,036,053,500)
Revenues netted against expenditures 804,409,119 804,409,119 923,952,880 917,434,514 113,025,395
Net spending 5,148,307,806 5,148,307,806 5,910,684,763 5,773,734,933 625,427,127
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019 planned full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 actual full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 difference
(actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
8,955 10,779 1,824

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

Workplace conditions and workplace relations

Description

The purpose of this Core Responsibility is to promote safe, healthy, fair and inclusive working conditions and cooperative workplace relations.

The programs found in the department’s Workplace Conditions and Workplace Relations core responsibility are aligned with the Economic participation and prosperity, as well as Gender-based violence and access to justice pillars of the Gender Results Framework.

Results

The department’s Labour Program met or exceeded the target for most of its result indicators in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This reflects the program’s efforts to complete its cases in due time and to approach employers proactively for better results. These results and the initiatives described below speak to the work the program does to meet departmental results.

Workplaces are safe and healthy

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department ensured that workplaces are safer and healthier by introducing new compliance and enforcement measures. The department also began developing a new framework to protect employees from harassment and violence in the workplace and continued to enhance safety standards.

The department realigned its proactive resources to address workplaces with higher risk of injuries. The objective of this initiative is to encourage high-risk workplaces to implement measures to prevent dangerous situations.

Introducing new compliance and enforcement measures

The department worked towards the use of new compliance and enforcement measures to protect vulnerable workers against those who violate the Canada Labour Code. The changes that came into force on April 1st, 2019 will improve how complaints of unpaid wages are addressed. These changes will allow for amounts owed to workers to be determined based on:

In addition to these, a new Administrative Monetary Penalties system is under development. This system will strengthen compliance and enforcement tools available to ensure compliance with Part II (Occupational Health and Safety) and Part III (Labour Standards) of the Canada Labour Code. In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department held extensive consultations with stakeholders and partners from other government departments. These consultations guided the development of the regime. The proposed regulations were pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on August 24, 2019. It is anticipated that the final regulations will come into force in 2020.

Addressing harassment and sexual violence in the workplace

Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1, received Royal Assent on October 25, 2018. It introduced a new framework that requires employers in federal workplaces to prevent incidents of harassment and violence. Bill C-65 will ensure an effective response to these incidents should they occur and supports the affected employees. Regulations to implement the amendments are expected to be in place in 2020.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department launched the following initiatives to support the implementation of Bill C-65:

Enhancing safety standards

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department put into action changes to safety standards regarding grain and flour dust to bring exposure limits in line with modern standards. The department also continued to work on amending Part XII of the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. These amendments updated safety standards for safety materials, equipment, devices and clothing. Changes came into force in July 2019, and will align with the implementation of similar provincial and territorial regulations.

Work conditions are fair and inclusive

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, Parliament passed legislation in support of modernizing labour standards, enhancing the Wage Earner Protection Program, advancing equal pay for work of equal value, and introduced legislation to increase pay transparency. Regulations were developed to implement legislative amendments to introduce increased flexibility to balance demands employees face at work and outside of work and limiting unpaid internships. In addition, regulatory consultations were initiated for pay transparency measures announced in Budget 2018. Work also advanced to inform a Fair Wages Policy. On the international stage, the department fostered improved respect for international labour standards.

Modernizing labour standards

Amendments to the Canada Labour Code were introduced through the Budget Implementation Act 2018, No. 2, which received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018. These changes will come into force in waves in fiscal years 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 to allow time for the development of regulations, the training of labour program inspectors, and to raise awareness among employers and employees. These amendments will provide a modern set of federal labour standards that ensure good-quality jobs in the federally regulated private sector. Changes will:

The Budget Implementation Act 2018, No. 2 also made improvements to the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). This included an increase to the maximum WEPP Payment from 4 to 7 weeks of insurable earnings under the Employment Insurance Act. This payment is for workers who are owed wages when their employer files for bankruptcy or enters receivership. The increase to the maximum payment was applied retroactively to bankruptcies or receiverships that occurred on or after February 27, 2018, the day the budget was tabled. A number of other amendments to broaden WEPP eligibility were also introduced, requiring updates or new regulations before they can come into force.

Fiscal year 2018 to 2019 saw the highest number of WEPP recipients since the inception of the Program in 2008. This included approximately 10,000 former employees of Sears Canada, the largest ever insolvency covered by the WEPP.

Enhancing flexibility in the workplace

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department conducted regulatory consultations and developed the regulations necessary to implement the amendments to the Canada Labour Code introduced through Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2. The changes to law and regulations have come into force on September 1, 2019 and will help employees in the federally regulated private sector achieve better work-life balance.

Changes to the Canada Labour Code aim to improve work-life balance, for example, by introducing new leaves. These include a 5-day personal leave and 5 days of paid leave for victims of family violence.

Limiting unpaid internships

On December 14, 2017, Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2 introduced amendments to the Canada Labour Code. These amendments protect interns in federally regulated workplaces as well as limiting unpaid internships to those that are part of a formal educational program. Students on a work-integrated learning placement may be unpaid, but are still entitled to the same job protections as paid employees. All other individuals undertaking placements will be treated as employees. Therefore, they will be covered by labour standards protections including the right to receive the minimum wage.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department held regulatory consultations with labour groups, employer groups, educational institutions and associations, and student and intern associations. Subsequently, the department drafted regulations and pre-published them in the Canada Gazette, Part I. This gave Canadians an opportunity to provide comments. The legislative and regulatory changes are expected to come into force in 2020.

Engage on a modern fair wages policy

The department continued to work with Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to inform the development of a modern fair wages policy. Between November 2018 and March 2019, the department held online and in-person consultations with:

These consultations provided individuals and organizations with the opportunity to share their ideas on what a modern fair wages policy should look like. A report summarizing what was shared in these consultations was released on June 28, 2019.

Contribute to reducing the gender wage gap through pay equity and improved pay transparency

On October 25, 2018, the Government of Canada released its Proactive Pay Equity What We Heard report, which summarizes feedback from employer, employee and advocacy stakeholders. Through Budget Implementation Act 2018, No. 2, the Government of Canada introduced proactive pay equity legislation. This legislation will ensure that those working in federally regulated workplaces with 10 or more employees receive equal pay for work of equal value. The Pay Equity Act received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018 and is expected to come into force along with its regulations in 2020.

New pay transparency measures in development will help raise awareness of wage gaps that affect women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department worked towards the introduction of pay transparency measures. These measures will provide Canadians with accessible online comparative information on the wage gaps of federally regulated private sector employees that fall under the Employment Equity Act. To support this initiative:

In parallel, the department undertook the preparatory work on the Budget 2018 initiative to host a Symposium on Women and the Workplace that took place on May 9-10, 2019. The department gathered over 240 leaders from the private sector, academia and non-profit sector to discuss ways to address issues faced by women in the workplace.

Improve workplace conditions by fostering respect for international labour standards

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department discussed international labour standards addressing violence and harassment in the world of work at the 2018 International Labour Conference. The department also participated in and contributed to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO’s) Standards Initiative. This initiative aims at ensuring the continued relevance of international labour standards and tripartite support for the supervisory system. The Inter-American Network for Labour Administration allocated funds in support of research. As a result, Ministries of Labour in the Western Hemisphere held a workshop to improve enforcement and compliance with labour legislation.

The department provided technical assistance to support projects aiming to build capacity. These projects were implemented by international organizations and regional non-governmental organizations, on behalf of Canada. This was part of the department’s work to:

For example, the International Labour Organization’s offices in Colombia and Jordan were respectively awarded grants under the Canada–Colombia Action Plan on Labour Cooperation and the Canada-Jordan Agreement on Labour Cooperation.

In addition, the department supported the development, negotiation, ratification or application of a number of international agreements, including:

Labour relations are cooperative

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) continued to support positive workplace relations through proactive dispute prevention and relationship development activities with unions and employers. For example, in fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the FMCS offered joint training workshops and helped manage productive discussions between the bargaining parties.

Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

The department continued to advance its commitment to improve services for federally regulated employers and employees through the ongoing development of online portals. These portals are expected to be ready for use in fiscal year 2020 to 2021. The department also continued working with Workers’ Compensation Boards to establish new Service Agreements and Information Service Agreements to support efficient workers compensation claim management.

The department is committed to ensuring that its assignments are completed within the timeframe set by the service standards. The work achieved this year for occupational health and safety cases has led to actual results that are higher than expected.

The target set for unjust dismissal complaints was slightly missed due to efforts being focussed on closing older files and attempting to settle complaints within 180 days. The department will continue to improve the results over the coming years as additional inspectors are hired, trained and dedicated to complaints handling.

Results achieved
Departmental results Performance Indicators Target Date to achieve target 2018 to 2019 actual results 2017 to 2018 actual results 2016 to 2017 actual results
Workplaces are safe and healthy Number of health and safety violations identified under the Canada Labour Code (Part II) per 1,000 federally regulated employees Average number of violations per 1,000 federally regulated employees Target: 91 March 2021 11.1 9.6 7.6
Work conditions are fair and inclusive Percentage of Legislated Employment Equity Program employers whose representation equals or surpasses Canadian labour market availability for 2+ designated groups or who demonstrated progress towards representation since the previous reporting period 65% September 1, 2018 (annual) 68% 63% Not available
Number of labour standard violations identified under the Canada Labour Code (Part III) per 1,000 federally regulated employees Average over 3 years per 1,000 federally regulated employees Target: 5 March 2018 2.9 2.6 2.5
Percentage of activities or instruments undertaken to strengthen respect for international labour standards that met expected outcomes 90% March 2019 100% 95% Not available2
Labour relations are cooperative Percentage of labour disputes settled under the Canada Labour Code (Part I) without work stoppages where parties were assisted by Labour Program officers 95% March 31, 2019 97% 94% 97%
Clients receive high‑quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs (working conditions and workplace relations) Number of service standard targets for working conditions and workplace relations program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met 4 out of 4 March 31, 2019 3 out of 4 Not available3 Not available3
Percentage of occupational health and safety cases each fiscal year that are finalized within 120 days (excluding prosecutions, appeals and technical surveys) 70% March 2021 79% 80% 75%
Percentage of unjust dismissal complaints that are finalized within 180 days 75% Ongoing 73% 70% 68%
Percentage of conciliators assigned under the Canada Labour Code within 15 calendar days of receiving requests that are compliant with Canada Industrial Relations Regulations 96% March 31, 2019 100% 100% 100%
Percentage of initial Wage Earner Protection Program payments and non-payment notifications issued within 35 calendar days 80% March 31, 2019 73%4 97% 99%

The following table compares actual spending to planned spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Amounts between brackets in the last column “Difference (Actual spending minus Planned spending)” indicate that the department spent less than projected during that fiscal year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
Spending category fiscal year 2018 to 2019
main estimates
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
planned spending
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
total authorities available for use
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
actual spending
(authorities used)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
difference
(actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross Spending 292,192,487 292,192,487 324,102,185 320,589,879 28,397,392
Spending in specified purpose accounts 0 0 0 0 0
Revenues netted against expenditures 125,235,000 125,235,000 145,458,316 145,191,155 19,956,155
Net spending 166,957,487 166,957,487 178,643,869 175,398,724 8,441,237
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019 planned full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 actual full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 difference
(actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
673 668 (5)

Financial, human resources and performance information for Employment and Social Development Canada’s Program Inventory is available in theGC InfoBase.Footnote xiv

Information delivery and services for other Departments

Description

This Core Responsibility is about providing provide information to the public on the programs of the Government of Canada and the department, and providing services on behalf of government departments.

Results

The department met or exceeded all its targets for this Core Responsibility. Among other results, the department served 85% of its in-person clients within 25 minutes (target is 80%). Below are other highlights of what the department accomplished in fiscal year 2018 to 2019 under this core responsibility

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

Service Canada conducted a Client Experience Survey in support of the department’s Service Strategy and Service Transformation Plan. The survey assessed client’s experience with the following programs and services:

The results of the survey will be taken into consideration in policy, program, and transformation initiatives aimed at improving service delivery to Canadians.

Officially launched in November 2018, the Job Bank application has been downloaded 168,000 times as of March 31, 2019. The application has received a 4.4 rating on the App Store.

As part of the Service Transformation agenda, the department launched its first mobile application, the Job Bank mobile application. This application allows users to customize job search, set alerts and notifications, and keep track of their favourite job posts. The application includes summer jobs for students offered through the Canada Summer Jobs program. This application helps the department to understand client needs and to integrate this information in the long-term mobile application strategy.

Targeting specific clients, the department established 6 urban Indigenous pilots to address the unique needs of the following populations:

The department identified the need for a multi-dimensional network of service providers to better address the complex needs of these communities. The department will continue to leverage these urban pilots to support the collaborative building and strengthening of the required networks.

The department assessed the Service Delivery Pilot with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). The assessment showed that the pilot provided high quality and cost-effective services. It also indicated that the pilot increased access to the department’s programs and services in remote Indigenous communities. The GNWT and Service Canada have expanded the initiative to 15 communities. As a result, Service Canada now reaches 89% of the territory’s population.

The department also improved access to in-person services by giving clients the opportunity to video chat with officers in other Service Canada Centers. This opportunity is available in 8 Service Canada Centres. It allowed over 2,700 clients to get faster service, through virtual assistance from staff located in the 24 supporting Service Canada Centres.

The department also sent outreach staff to visit 669 Indigenous communities, where they completed more than 11,000 transactions.

Canadians can obtain an error-free passport within Canada in a timely manner

The department met all its service standards for processing passport requests made by Canadians living in Canada. The department worked with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to provide more accessible and convenient services to Canadians. As of March 31, 2019, as many as 347 Service Canada Centres assisted Canadians in applying for passports. This included receiving applications and verify they were complete. It also meant validating citizenship documents and returning them to the clients while they were in the office. Service Canada Centres also started offering other passport services, including accepting applications:

Service excellence across the country

Service Canada offered services to Canadians online, by phone and in person in both official languages. The following are some achievements in this regard for fiscal year 2018 to 2019.

On a national scale

About 1.58 million people called 1 800 O-Canada in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Service Canada agents provided clients with program information, contact and procedural information. They did so using tools and scenarios ensuring consistent quality of service and client experience.

Canadians also accessed a wealth of government information, products and services on the Canada.ca website administered by the department. This website provides content from 22 departments, and 77 departments publish information in its Newsroom. The department helped other departments convey major public campaigns such as:

The department also supported 75 departments in managing their social media accounts. This enabled them to reach Canadians and to provide information and promote events through 11 different social media platforms.

At the regional level

Western Canada and Territories Region

The Western Canada and Territories region established 126 new outreach locations to increase access to federal benefits in remote areas. To set those up, the region teamed up with the Canada Revenue Agency and Indigenous Services Canada. Approximately 300,000 clients can now access services in these locations within 50 kilometres of their home.

Service Canada, the Government of Nunavut, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada initiated the Nunavut Passport Photo Pilot. The goal was to reduce financial and geographical barriers to obtaining passport photos for Nunavummiut. Through this pilot project, the region trained and equipped territorial Government Liaison Officers to take professional grade passport photos on-site. Twenty clients used this service in Arviat, Pond Inlet and Taloyoak between May 15 and October 31, 2018. These clients saved an estimated $3,800 per person by being able to obtain passport photos without traveling.

Atlantic Region

The region improved services for remote, rural and vulnerable groups and individuals. For example, the region conducted Social Insurance Number clinics in remote communities, targeting colleges, universities and employers of temporary foreign workers. In addition, the Region piloted the Hosted Contact Centre Solution for Call Centres. This allowed for better management of resources, resulting in improved timeliness of services across the Service Canada Centre network. Furthermore, some agents in Apprenticeship Grant have been crossed trained to support EI processing workloads while some Pensions Call Centre agents have been trained in Pensions processing to better support the workload peaks in these areas.

The region created a Quality Assurance Process working group that succeeded at increasing the rates of error-free passports. The working group identified best practices and developed reference tools. The region also established a client tracking system in Passport Offices to gather data on client service and client experience, with the goal of improving service.

Ontario Region

The Toronto North York Flagship Service Canada Centre is a testing ground for new ways to design and deliver service. In this centre, the whole service process focuses on the client and uses high-tech methods and tools. Key design principles have been applied and co-created with clients, stakeholders and employees. The basic idea was to consider inclusivity from the start in all aspects of the design. As a result, clients are supported end-to-end in their service experience.

The many shapes of inclusivity in the Toronto Flagship Service Canada Centre

For blind or partially sighted clients, wayfinder beacons send signals to clients’ phones to help them navigate the space.

Screen readers, screen magnification and large font keyboards have been introduced at Client Access Workstations. Mousepads display frequently used phone numbers in accessible, easy-to-read, fonts and colours.

Adjustable service counters offer multi-height variability for client ease of use. Accessible point of sale machines with wireless, tap-enabled payment support clients who have limited dexterity.

A Sound Masking System has been installed to mask noise, increase client privacy and support clients with sound sensitivity.

A Service Animal Refreshment Station provides service animals with water.

The region collaborated with the provincial Ministry of Government and Consumer Services to issue 15,000 birth and delayed birth registrations. This provided adults in remote communities, with no government office, a document they need to benefit from government programs and services.

Quebec Region

The Quebec Region expanded its video chat service to the Longueuil Service Canada Centre. The video chat allows clients to receive immediate virtual assistance from an agent located in a different Service Canada Centre. This last year, the Service Canada Centres of Gaspé and Chandler joined the other 5 points of service that provide such virtual assistance. These are located in Campbell’s Bay, La Sarre, Maniwaki, Ville-Marie and Senneterre. This virtual assistance first appeared in the Saint-Léonard Service Canada Centre, in the Québec Region. Given the success of the initiative, Service Canada continues to expand its client digital assistance experience to various cities across Canada.

Among other activities to reach vulnerable populations, the Quebec Region held an open house session on government services. This project aimed to gather officials from various levels of government to offer services directly to urban Aboriginals in Montreal. The region organized the event in collaboration with the First Nations Human Resources Development Board and the Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy NETWORK. Participants had an opportunity to learn more about the social insurance number, Canada Child Benefit and Indian Register. Building on this success, a second open house will take place in the Fall of 2019. This will enable the region to expand its outreach and strengthen its network capacity to better meet the needs of First Nations communities.

Regional offices also oversee a vast network of in-person service.

At the local level

At the end of March 2019, Canadians were able to access in-person services in 611 points of service across the country (as per the map below). That is 21 more locations than a year before. Of these, 15 are new Service Delivery Partner Sites, where employees of the Government of Northwest Territories provide services on behalf of Service Canada. These employees have received training from Service Canada to be able to provide general information, applications, referrals, follow-up and tracking.

Figure 2: Service Canada In-Person Service Network
Figure 2: Service Canada In-Person Service Network
Text description of figure 2

Service Canada In-Person Service Network is comprised of 611 points of service. There are four types of points of service: Service Canada Centres, Scheduled Outreach sites, Service Canada Centre – Passport service sites, Service delivery partner sites. These points of service are spread within 4 regions: Western Canada and Territories, Ontario, Québec, Atlantic.

Points of service
Region Service Canada Centres Scheduled outreach sites Service Canada Centre – Passport service sites Service Delivery partner sites
Western Canada and Territories 97 126 10 15
Ontario 89 76 13 0
Québec 74 18 6 0
Atlantic 57 27 3 0
National total 317 247 32 15
Results achieved
Departmental results Performance indicators Target Date to achieve target 2018 to 2019 actual results 2017 to 2018 actual results 2016 to 2017 actual results
Clients receive high-quality, timely and accurate government information and services that meet their needs 1 800 O-Canada information completeness, relevancy and accuracy assessment 85% March 31, 2019 93% 94% 92%
Percentage of clients served in person who received assistance within 25 minutes 80% March 31, 2019 85% 79% 81%
Percentage of program services that meet their service standard targets 80% March 31, 2019 80%1 100% 100%
Canadians can obtain an error-free passport within Canada in a timely manner Percentage of service standards met for the processing of passport requests by Canadians living in Canada 90%2 March 31, 2019 100% 100% 100%

The following table compares actual spending to planned spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Amounts between brackets in the last column “Difference (Actual spending minus Planned spending)” indicate that the department spent less than projected during that fiscal year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
Spending category fiscal year 2018 to 2019
main estimates
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
planned spending
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
total authorities available for use
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
actual spending
(authorities used)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
difference
(actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending 250,235,842 250,235,842 236,669,690 203,136,512 (47,099,330)
Spending in specified purpose accounts 0 0 0 0 0
Revenues netted against expenditures 179,860,543 179,860,543 161,798,772 128,265,594 (51,594,949)
Net spending 70,375,299 70,375,299 74,870,918 74,870,918 4,495,619
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019 planned full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 actual full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 difference
(actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
2,738 2,036 (702)

Financial, human resources and performance information for Employment and Social Development Canada’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.Footnote xv

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refer to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services, including Data Management and Analytics; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Results

Information technology and information management

The department improved its strategy and roadmap to manage information. These outline the activities and projects the department will undertake over 5 years to improve the way it manages information. The roadmap brings 3 changes to the department:

As part of the roadmap, the department migrated over 30,000 devices to Office 2016 under the Desktop Software Renewal Project. It also upgraded its servers to support modern operating systems. In addition, the department continued to modernize its computer systems to be able to transform the way benefits are delivered to Canadians.

Data strategy

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the department completed the first phase of its Data Strategy. It began implementing the tools and processes required to use data and analytics more effectively to improve services. In particular, the department:

The department developed a Privacy Management Roadmap to:

Open and transparent government

The department made sure it was ready to comply with the proposed legislative amendments to the Access to Information Act. Certain amendments require online publication of departmental documents that were not published online before. The department adjusted business processes, re-designed templates, mobilized employees, and raised awareness about the new requirements. The department also launched, on its intranet site, a web page to provide employees with key information, tools and resources.

Departmental management excellence and accountability

The department continued to identify areas to streamline and integrate its planning and reporting processes. This included aligning its strategic framework more closely to its investment plan.

In addition, the department strengthened its current investment and project management tools and procedures. This helped ensure the integrity of the portfolio and increased the department’s ability to implement projects to improve the delivery of services to Canadians.

Human resource management: improving our workforce

As per its Workforce Strategy and its fiscal year 2018 to 2019 Workforce Action Plan, the department worked to attract and develop talent. To this end, the department:

The department also fostered an inclusive and healthy workplace by:

In addition to the activities noted above, the department supported its transformation goals by:

Award: For the second year in a row, Employment and Social Development Canada was recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. The Canada’s Best Diversity Employers award recognizes employers from across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness

Safe working environment for employees

The department began implementing a 3-year Departmental Security Plan to enhance and strengthen its security culture and program. This will ensure the department can provide a safe and secure work environment for employees and Canadians who access its locations. The plan also effectively ensured that sensitive information and valuable assets held by the department were protected and safeguarded.

The following table compares actual spending to planned spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Amounts between brackets in the last column “Difference (Actual spending minus Planned spending)” indicate that the department spent less than projected during that fiscal year.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
Spending category fiscal year 2018 to 2019
main estimates
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
planned spending
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
total authorities available for use
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
actual spending
(authorities used)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
difference
(actual spending minus planned spending)
Gross spending 824,994,686 824,994,686 939,942,257 897,483,438 72,488,752
Spending in specified purpose accounts 0 0 0 0 0
Revenues netted against expenditures 576,863,193 576,863,193 646,318,250 617,971,443 41,108,250
Net spending 248,131,493 248,131,493 293,624,007 279,511,995 31,380,502
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019 planned full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 actual full-time equivalents fiscal year 2018 to 2019 difference
(actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
4,416 4,598 182

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

Departmental spending trend

The department’s expenditures on programs and services totaled $130.3 billion in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. Of this, $122.9 billion, or more than 94%, directly benefitted Canadians through Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and other statutory transfer payment programs. Departmental expenditures were $2.4 billion in voted grants and contributions and $3.4 billion in gross operating expenditures.

Figure 3: ESDC expenditures on programs and services chart
Figure 3: ESDC expenditures on programs and services chart
Text description of figure 3
Programs Actual Spending (in millions of dollars) Percentages
Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement/Allowance 53,391.3 41.0%
Canada Pension Plan 46,541.9 35.7%
Employment Insurance 18,887.9 14.5%
Canada Student Loans and Grants / Canada Education Savings Grant / Other Statutory Payments 4,065.7 3.1%
Gross Operating Expenditures 3,380.1 2.6%
Voted Grants & Contributions 2,432.2 1.9%
Other 1,565.0 1.2%
Consolidated total $130,264.1 100.0%
Employment and Social Development Canada - Gross expenditures (in millions of dollars)
Budgetary
Net Operating Costs 1,331.8
Add Recoveries in relation to:
Canada Pension Plan 341.0
Employment Insurance Operating Account 1,405.0
Workers' Compensation 144.2
Passport Services 143.2
Other 14.9
Add Recoveries subtotal 2,048.3
Gross Operating Costs 3,380.1
Voted Grants and Contributions 2,432.2
Total Gross Expenditures 5,812.3
Other – Workers' Compensation and EI/CPP Charges and Recoveries 1,565.0
Statutory Transfer payments (in millions of dollars)
Grants and Contributions
Old Age Security 40,424.1
Guaranteed Income Supplement 12,404.7
Allowance 562.5
Other statutory payments
Canada Student Loans and Grants 2,387.4
Canada Education Savings Grant 910.7
Canada Disability Savings Program 513.1
Canada Learning Bond 166.2
Wage Earner Protection program 64.9
Universal Child Care Benefit 4.6
Other statutory paymets sub-total 4,046.9
Sub-total 57,438.2
Canada Pension Plan benefits 46,541.9
Employment Insurance benefits
Part 1 16,580.0
Part 2 2,307.9
Employment Insurance benefits sub-total 18,887.9
Other specified purpose accounts 18.8 *
Total statutory transfer payments 122,886.8
Actual spending summary 2018 to 2019
Core Responsibilities
and Internal Services
Actual
gross
spending
Less: Actual gross spending in specified purpose accounts Less: Actual revenues netted against expenditures Actual net spending
Core Responsibility 1:
Social Development
716,719,128 - - 716,719,128
Core Responsibility 2:
Pensions and Benefits
100,963,229,259 46,541,857,593 239,456,545 54,181,915,121
Core Responsibility 3:
Learning, Skills Development and Employment
25,597,959,995 18,906,790,548 917,434,514 5,773,734,933
Core Responsibility 4:
Working Conditions and Workplace Relations
320,589,879 - 145,191,155 175,398,724
Core Responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments 203,136,512 - 128,265,594 74,870,918
Sub-total 127,801,634,773 65,448,648,141 1,430,347,808 60,922,638,824
Internal Services 897,483,438 - 617,971,443 279,511,995
Other Costs* 1,564,951,081 1,564,629,081 - -
Total 130,264,069,292 67,013,277,222 2,048,319,251 61,202,150,819

Department’s financial framework

The department has a complex financial structure. It uses 4 main sources of funding to deliver its mandate. These are:

  1. appropriated funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund
  2. the Employment Insurance Operating Account
  3. the Canada Pension Plan
  4. other government departments and Crown corporations

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

Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan benefits and related administrative costs are charged against revenues set aside in separate specified purpose accounts. The Employment Insurance program provides financial support and other assistance to eligible workers. It is entirely financed by contributions from employees and employers. The Canada Pension Plan is an income security plan funded by the contributions of employees, employers, and self-employed persons and by the revenue earned on Plan investments. It provides partial income protection in the case of the retirement, disability or death of a contributor. This assistance is available to virtually all employed and self-employed persons in Canada, excluding Québec. The province of Québec operates its own comprehensive pension plan, the Quebec Pension Plan.

The department incurs administrative costs in the delivery of programs related to Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan. These costs are charged to their respective specified purpose accounts and reported as revenues netted against expenditures under the department.

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

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

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

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

Core responsibility 1: Social Development

Core responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits

Core responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development and Employment

Core responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations

Core responsibility 5: Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments

Internal Services

Financial highlights

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

In fiscal year 2018 to 2019, the overall actual gross expenditures were $4.6 billion higher than in 2017 to 2018. This is mainly the result of an increase in statutory payments.

Statutory payments followed their usual trend in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. There were increases to OAS/GIS payments ($2.8 billion) and to CPP benefits ($2.1 billion). These increases were the result of the aging population and changes in the amount of average monthly benefits. The fiscal year 2018 to 2019 average monthly rate for OAS basic pension was $568.29. That is $10.01 more than the average monthly rate from 2017 to 2018. There was also an increase for the average number of OAS pension beneficiaries. This number grew from 6.0 million in fiscal year 2017 to 2018 to 6.2 million in fiscal year 2018 to 2019.

There were other spending increases for statutory programs from fiscal year 2017 to 2018 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. These increases were mainly related to the Canada Student Loans Program ($381 million) and the Wage Earner Protection Program ($49 million).

Statutory increases were offset by a decrease of $967 million in EI benefits paid. This decrease largely came from a decline in regular benefits. This decline is attributable to a reduction of the unemployment rate, which went from 6.1% to 5.8%. The decrease is also attributable to the winding down of the extra weeks measure for the commodity downturn.  Employment Benefits and Support Measures expenditures increased by $140 million, following new investments in Labour Market Development Agreements.

The figure below illustrates the department’s spending trend from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2021 to 2022. In the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year, the department spent a net amount of $61.2 billion in achieving its expected results. Planned spending presented from fiscal year 2019 to 2020 to fiscal year 2021 to 2022 corresponds to planned spending presented in the 2019 to 2020 Departmental Plan.

Figure 4: Departmental spending trend graph
Figure 4: Departmental spending trend graph
Text description of figure 4
Departmental Spending Trend (dollars)
Fiscal year Total Voted ** Statutory
Actual spending 2016 to 2017 56,338,965,704 2,738,976,940 53,599,988,764
Actual spending 2017 to 2018 57,971,247,622 3,363,758,142 54,607,489,480
Actual spending 2018 to 2019 61,202,150,819 3,362,681,186 57,839,469,633
Planned spending 2019 to 2020 64,436,584,944 3,431,612,399 61,004,972,545
Planned spending 2020 to 2021 67,030,959,223 2,383,568,686 64,647,390,537
Planned spending 2021 to 2022 70,704,586,005 2,400,310,440 68,304,275,565
  • Notes: Amounts do not reflect 2019 Budget Implementation measures included in ESDC's 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates.
  • * Voted expenditures include debt write-offs in 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019.
Actual summary for core responsibilities and internal services (gross)
Core Responsabilities and Internal Services 2018─19
Main
Estimates
2018─19
Planned
Spending
2019-20
Planned
Spending*
2020─21
Planned
Spending*
2018─19 Total
Authorities
Available for Use
2018─19
Actual Spending
(authorities used)
2017─18
Actual Spending**
(authorities used)
2016─17
Actual Spending**
(authorities used)
Core Responsibility 1:
Social Development
718,598,615 718,598,615 759,435,703 476,543,837 762,083,119 716,719,128 695,357,869 2,239,757,375
Core responsibility 2:
Pensions and Benefits
54,813,963,588 101,826,497,339 107,075,411,089 113,530,640,317 100,981,495,844 100,963,229,259 96,051,202,359 91,631,984,510
Core Responsibility 3:
Learning, Skills Development and Employment
5,952,716,925 26,895,560,973 27,402,184,747 27,866,496,714 25,741,428,191 25,597,959,995 26,086,783,929 26,317,816,518
Core Responsibility 4:
Working Conditions and Workplace Relations
292,192,487 292,192,487 298,909,369 297,274,487 324,102,185 320,589,879 262,029,434 253,469,223
Core Responsibility 5:
Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments
250,235,842 250,235,842 225,074,106 224,516,425 236,669,690 203,136,512 228,253,902 185,087,756
Sub-total 62,027,707,457 129,983,085,256 135,761,015,014 142,395,471,780 128,045,779,029 127,801,634,773 123,323,627,493 120,628,115,382

Internal Services
824,994,686 824,994,686 841,778,820 828,389,600 939,942,257 897,483,438 925,244,173 876,667,337
Other Costs *** N/A 1,384,577,942 1,690,372,657 1,689,079,507 1,511,453,942 1,564,951,081 1,380,064,755 1,250,037,361
Vote netted revenues (1,927,232,359) N/A N/A N/A N/A  N/A N/A  N/A
Sub-total (1,927,232,359) 1,384,577,942 1,690,372,657 1,689,079,507 1,511,453,942 1,564,951,081 1,380,064,755 1,250,037,361
Total 60,925,469,784 132,192,657,884 138,293,166,491 144,912,940,887 130,497,175,228 130,264,069,292 125,628,936,421 122,754,820,080

There was an overall increase of $7.5 billion in actual gross spending from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase is mainly attributable to increases in Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits paid. These increases are due to the aging population and changes in the amount of average monthly benefits.

Under Social Development, there was a significant decrease of $1.5 billion in actual spending from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This decrease is a result of 2 factors. First, when government introduced the Canada Child Benefit, in replacement of the Universal Child Care Benefit, as of July 2016, the administration of the benefit was transferred to the Canada Revenue Agency. This transfer resulted in a $2.0 billion decrease in departmental spending. Second, this $2.0 billion decrease was offset by an increase of $400 million in spending due to the introduction of the new Early Learning and Child Care transfer agreements implemented in 2017 to 2018.

There was an overall gross increase of $9.3 billion in actual spending under Pension and Benefits from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase is mainly attributable to increases in the number of beneficiaries and in the amount of average monthly benefits payments for:

Under Learning, Skills Development and Employment, there was a decrease of $720 million in actual spending from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This decrease was mainly due to a reduction of $1.9 billion in Employment Insurance benefits paid. This reduction is attributable to a decline in the unemployment rate, which resulted in a reduction in the amount of EI regular benefits paid. This rate went from 6.8% in fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to 5.8% in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. The decrease is also attributable to the winding down of the extra weeks measure for the commodity downturn.

This decrease in EI regular benefits paid is offset by an increase to the Canada Loans and Grants for Students spending. This increase was due to the implementation of Budget 2016 and Budget 2017 measures. These measures increased the number of low-and middle-income students, including those with dependent children, eligible for the Canada Student Grants. In addition, more people took advantage of the Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond. This was due, in part, to various initiatives to increase awareness and take-up of these education savings incentives.

There was an increase of $67 million in actual spending related to Working Conditions and Workplace Relations from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase is mostly attributable to the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). The WEPP actual spending for fiscal year 2018 to 2019 was $65 million. This represents an increase of $46 million when compared with 2016 to 2017. This increase is largely attributable to 2 factors. First, Budget 2018 increased the maximum WEPP payment from $3,977 to $7,148, and the increase was applied retroactively to February 27, 2018. Second, Sears Canada entered into receivership, and as a result, close to 10,000 former Sears Canada employees received a WEPP payment in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. In total, 18,165 Canadians received a WEPP payment in fiscal year 2018 to 2019. That is more than twice the total number of WEPP recipients in 2017 to 2018.

There was an increase of $18 million in actual spending from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019 under Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments. This increase is mainly attributable to:

There is a variance of $315 million in actual spending under Other Costs from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This variance mainly relates to increased charges from other government departments to the CPP.

Actual summary for core responsibilities and internal services (at net)
Core Responsabilities and Internal Services 2018 to 2019
Main
Estimates
2018 to 2019
Planned
Spending
2019 to 2020
Planned
Spending*
2020 to 2021
Planned
Spending*
2018 to 2019 Total
Authorities
Available for Use
2018 to 2019
Actual Spending
(authorities used)
2017 to 2018
Actual Spending**
(authorities used)
2016 to 2017
Actual Spending**
(authorities used)
Core Responsibility 1:
Social Development
718,598,615 718,598,615 759,435,703 476,543,837 762,083,119 716,719,128 695,357,869 2,239,757,375
Core responsibility 2:
Pensions and Benefits
54,573,099,084 54,573,099,084 57,169,311,616 60,730,874,424 54,181,915,121 54,181,915,121 51,362,618,315 48,917,558,758
Core Responsibility 3:
Learning, Skills Development and Employment
5,148,307,806 5,148,307,806 5,824,251,524 5,152,876,232 5,910,684,763 5,773,734,933 5,416,434,813 4,689,694,911
Core Responsibility 4:
Working Conditions and Workplace Relations
166,957,487 166,957,487 173,009,369 171,374,487 178,643,869 175,398,724 126,251,634 127,697,824
Core Responsibility 5:
Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments
70,375,299 70,375,299 225,074,106 224,516,425 74,870,918 74,870,918 78,751,918 68,508,229
Sub-total 60,677,338,291 60,677,338,291 64,151,082,318 66,756,185,405 61,108,197,790 60,922,638,824 57,679,414,549 56,043,217,097

Internal Services
248,131,493 248,131,493 285,502,626 274,773,818 293,624,007 279,511,995 291,833,073 295,748,607
Total 60,925,469,784 60,925,469,784 64,436,584,944 67,030,959,223 61,401,821,797 61,202,150,819 57,971,247,622 56,338,965,704

Actual human resources

Human resources summary for programs and internal services (full-time equivalents (FTEs))
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services 2016 to 2017
Actual*
2017 to 2018
Actual*
2018 to 2019
Planned
2018 to 2019
Actual
2019 to 2020
Planned**
2020 to 2021
Planned**
Core Responsibility 1:
Social Development
309 349 386 382 526 520
Core Responsibility 2:
Pensions and Benefits
4,801 5,076 5,019 5,333 3,902 3,547
Core Responsibility 3:
Learning, Skills Development and Employment
10,046 10,600 8,955 10,779 9,066 8,853
Core Responsibility 4:
Working Conditions and Workplace Relations
647 651 673 668 691 683
Core Responsibility 5:
Information Delivery and Services for Other Departments
2,179 2,316 2,738 2,036 2,507 2,508
Sub-total 17,982 18,992 17,771 19,198 16,692 16,111
Internal Services 3,843 4,114 4,416 4,598 4,462 4,404
Total 21,825 23,106 22,187 23,796 21,154 20,515

There was an overall increase of 1,971 in actual full-time equivalents (FTE) from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase mainly followed from the following items:

Under Learning, Skills Development and Employment, there was an overall increase of 733 in actual FTEs from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase is mainly due to measures that the EI program took to address increased demand for processing. There was a variance between planned and actual FTEs for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This variance is due to additional funding approved for new initiatives after forecasts were done. This funding was for measures such as:

Under Pensions and Benefits, there was an overall increase of 532 FTEs from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase is attributable to additional funds and FTEs dedicated to processing CPP and OAS files. There was also a variance between the planned and actual FTEs for fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase was mainly due to additional funding for activities to ensure seniors had timely access to OAS benefits. This funding was approved during the fiscal year and therefore had not been factored in the fiscal year 2018 to 2019 planned FTEs.

Under Internal Services, there was an increase of 755 FTEs from fiscal year 2016 to 2017 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. This increase is mainly attributable to the creation of new units within the department to better support its mandate and employees.

Expenditures by vote

For information on Employment and Social Development Canada’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2018.Footnote xvi

Government of Canada spending and activities

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

Financial statements

The financial highlights are intended to serve as a general overview of Employment and Social Development Canada’s financial position and operations.

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

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

Financial statements

Employment and Social Development Canada’s consolidated financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2019, are available on the departmental website.

Financial statements highlights

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2019 (dollars)
Financial information fiscal year 2018 to 2019
planned
results(1)
fiscal year 2018 to 2019
actual
results
2017 to 2018
actual
results
Difference (fiscal year 2018 to 2019 actual results minus fiscal year 2018 to 2019 planned results) Difference (fiscal year 2018 to 2019 actual results minus 2017 to 2018 actual results)
Total expenses 84,297,079,658 82,531,201,906 80,346,429,318 (1,765,877,752) 2,184,772,588
Total revenues 22,899,949,918 23,284,835,475 22,126,746,081 384,885,557 1,158,089,394
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 61,397,129,740 59,246,366,431 58,219,683,237 (2,150,763,309) 1,026,683,194
Figure 5: Expenses by core responsibility
Figure 5: Expenses by core responsibility
Figure 5 – text description
Expenses by core responsibility Millions of dollars Percentage
Pension and Benefits 54,408,586 65.9%
Learning, Skills Development and Employment 26,180,166 31.7%
Internal Services 865,412 1.0%
Social Development 727,519 0.9%
Other Program Activities 349,518 0.45%
Working conditions and workplace Relations 0%
Actual over planned

The fiscal year 2018 to 2019 expenses were $1,765.9 million lower than planned. The variance is mainly attributable to:

Actual year over year

Total expenses for fiscal year 2018 to 2019 amounted to $82,531.2 million, an increase of $2,184.8 million over the previous year’s total expenses of $80,346.4 million. The increase in expenses is mainly explained by:

Figure 6: Revenues by type
Figure 6: Revenues by type
Figure 6 – text description
Revenues by type Millions of dollars Percentage
Employment Insurance 22,781,644 98%
Other revenues 503,191 2%
Actual over planned

The fiscal year 2018 to 2019 revenues were $385.0 million higher than planned. The variance is mainly attributable to total EI insurable earnings being higher than planned due to higher than expected growth in wages.

Actual year over year

Total revenues for fiscal year 2018 to 2019 amounted to $23,284.8 million, an increase of $1,158.1 million over the previous year's total revenues of $22,126.7 million. The majority of this increase can be explained by the growth in employment and an increase in average wages.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2019 (dollars)
Financial information fiscal year 2018 to 2019 2017 to 2018 Difference
(fiscal year 2018 to 2019 minus
2017 to 2018)
Total net financial assets 22,588,197,082 20,973,227,188 1,614,969,894
Total net liabilities 3,291,795,610 3,157,716,228 134,079,382
Departmental net financial asset 19,296,401,472 17,815,510,960 1,480,890,512
Total non‑financial assets 254,441,007 229,670,093 24,770,914
Departmental net financial position 19,550,842,479 18,045,181,053 1,505,661,426
Figure 7: Assets by Type
Figure 7:Assets by Type
Figure 7 – text description
Assets by type Millions of dollars Percentage
Accounts receivable and advances 5,405,380 24%
Loans receivable 17,182,817 75%
Other assets 254,442 1%

Total assets (including financial and non-financial assets) amounted to $22,842.6 million as at March 31, 2019, an increase of $1,639.7 million over the previous year's total assets of $21,202.9 million. The increase in assets is mainly attributable to:

Figure 8: Liabilities by type
Figure 8: Liabilities by type
Figure 8 – text description
Liabilities by type Millions of dollars Percentage
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,199,113 67%
Due to Consolidated Revenue Fund 639,225 19%
Due to Canada Pension Plan 163,237 5%
Government Annuities Account 122,942 4%
Vacation pay and compensatory leave 75,896 2%
Employee future benefits 72,945 2%
Designated Amount Fund-Trust Account 18,437 1%

Total liabilities amounted to $3,291.7 million as at March 31, 2019, an increase of $134.1 million over the previous year's total liabilities of $3,157.7 million. The increase is mainly due to changes in the year-end balance of the liability related to CPP, which is a result of the timing of year-end payments.

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate ministers:

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos

The Honourable Patti Hajdu

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough

The Honourable Filomena Tassi

Institutional head:

Graham Flack, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development

Ministerial portfolio:

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

Minister of Seniors

Enabling instrument[s]:

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

Year of incorporation / commencement:

2005

Other:

For more information on the Department’s role, please visit the Employment and Social Development Canada websiteFootnote xx.

Departmental results framework

The Employment and Social Development Departmental Results Framework for 2018 to 2019 is shown below.

Departmental results framework Program inventory
Core Responsibility 1: Social Development Description: Increase inclusion and opportunities for participation of Canadians in their communities. Reaching Home
Social Development Partnerships Program
Departmental Result: Homelessness is prevented and reduced. Indicator: Reduction in the estimated number of shelter users who are chronically homeless New Horizons
Enabling Accessibility Fund
Departmental Result: Not-for-profit organizations, communities, and other groups have an enhanced capacity to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the engagement of seniors and support for children and families. Indicator: For every dollar invested through the Social Development Partnerships Program, amount leveraged/invested by non-federal partners Early Learning and Child Care Transformation Initiative
Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime
Accessible Canada Initiative
Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program
Departmental Result: Barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities are removed. Indicator: Number of community spaces and workplaces that are more accessible due to Enabling Accessibility Fund funding  
Departmental Result: Access to early learning and child care is increased. Indicator: Number of children in regulated child care spaces and/or early learning programs.
Indicator: Number of children receiving subsidies or other financial supports.
Departmental Result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs. Indicator: Service standard target for Social Development program priority service, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, was met
Core Responsibility 2: Pensions and Benefits Description: Assist Canadians in maintaining income for retirement, and provide financial benefits to survivors, people with disabilities and their families. Old Age Security
Canada Disability Savings Program
Departmental Result: Seniors have income support for retirement Indicator: Percentage of seniors receiving the Old Age Security pension in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors Canada Pension Plan
 
Indicator: Percentage of seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement in relation to the estimated total number of eligible seniors
Indicator: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors aged 70+ receiving retirement benefits
Indicator: Percentage of seniors living in low income
  Departmental Result: People with disabilities and their families have financial support   Indicator: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan contributors who have contributory eligibility for Canada Pension Plan disability benefits and therefore have access to financial support in the event of a severe and prolonged disability
Indicator: Percentage of Canadians eligible for the Disability Tax Credit who have a Registered Disability Savings Plan to encourage private savings
Indicator: Percentage of Canadians with disabilities eligible for a Registered Disability Savings Program that have received a grant and/or a bond to assist them and their families to save for their long-term financial security
Departmental Result: Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs Indicator: Number of service standard targets for Pensions and Benefits program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met
Key Measure: Percentage of Canada Pension Plan retirement benefits paid within the first month of entitlement
Key Measure: Percentage of decisions on applications for a Canada Pension Plan disability benefit within 120 calendar days
Key Measure: Percentage of Old Age Security basic benefits paid within the first month of entitlement
Core Responsibility 3: Learning, Skills Development, and Employment Description: Help Canadians access post-secondary education, obtain the skills and training needed to participate in a changing labour market and provide supports to those who are temporarily unemployed. Employment Insurance
Labour Market Development Agreements
Departmental Result: Canadians access education, training and lifelong learning supports to gain the skills and work experience they need Indicator: Number of Canadians receiving training and/or employment supports Workforce Development Agreements
Indicator: Employment or returns to school following training/supports Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
Indicator: Percentage of Canadians aged 18 to 24 that are enrolled in university or college Job Bank
Youth Employment Strategy
Indicator: Percentage change in Canadians aged 25 to 64 enrolled in university or college Skills and Partnership Fund
Literacy and Essential Skills\
Departmental Result: Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market Indicator: Employment rate for Canadians Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program
Indicator: Employment rate for Indigenous people off reserve Student Work Placement Program
Indicator: Employment rate for Indigenous people on reserve Union Training and Innovation Program
Indicator: Employment rate for recent immigrants Sectoral Initiatives Program
Indicator: Employment rate for persons with disabilities Foreign Credential Recognition Program
Indicator: Employment rate for youth Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Indicator: Employment rate for women     Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities Canada Student Loans Program and Canada Apprentice Loans
Indicator: Employment rate for older Canadians
Indicator: Employment rate for lone parents Canada Education Savings Program
Indicator:Unemployment-to-job vacancies (ratio) Apprenticeship Grants
Departmental Result: More students from low- and middle-income families access and participate in post-secondary education Indicator: Proportion of low- and middle-income Canadian young adults participating in Post-Secondary Education Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship (Red Seal Program)
Indicator: Percentage of beneficiaries with a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) withdrawal that have ever received an additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and/or Canada Learning Bond (CLB), which are available only to children from low- and middle-income families, as compared to the total population of beneficiaries Canada Service Corps
Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program (STAR Program)
Future Skills
 
Indicator:Percentage of full-time students (all ages) who used federal student financial assistance to help finance their participation in Post-Secondary Education
Departmental Result: Clients receive high-quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs Indicator: Percentage of Employment Insurance benefit payments or non-benefit notifications issued within 28 days of filing
Indicator: Percentage of Employment Insurance requests for reconsideration reviewed within 30 days of filing
Indicator:Percentage of Social Insurance Numbers applied for through the Newborn Registration Service issued within 10 business days
Core Responsibility 4: Working Conditions and Workplace Relations Description: Promotes safe, healthy, fair and inclusive work conditions and cooperative workplace relations. Labour Relations
Federal Workers’ Compensation
Departmental Result: Workplaces are safe and healthy Indicator: Number of health and safety violations identified under the Canada Labour Code (Part II) per 1,000 federally regulated employees Occupational Health and Safety
Workplace Equity
Departmental Result: Work conditions are fair and inclusive Indicator: Percentage of Legislated Employment Equity Program employers whose representation equals or surpasses Canadian labour market availability for 2+ designated groups or who demonstrated progress towards representation since the previous reporting period Labour Standards
Wage Earner Protection Program
International Labour Affairs
 
Indicator: 3 year average number of founded violations identified under Part III of the Canada Labour Code per 1,000 federally regulated employees
Indicator: Percentage of activities or instruments undertaken to strengthen respect for international labour standards that met expected outcomes
Departmental Result: Labour relations are cooperative Indicator: Percentage of labour disputes settled under the Canada Labour Code (Part I) without work stoppages, where parties were assisted by Labour Program officers
Departmental Result: Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs Indicator: Number of service standard targets for Working Conditions and Workplace Relations program priority services, as defined by the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service, that are being met Key Measure: Percentage of occupational health and safety cases each fiscal year that are finalized within 120 days (excluding prosecutions, appeals, and technical surveys)
Key Measure: Percentage of unjust dismissal complaints that are finalized within 180 days
Key Measure: Percentage of conciliators assigned under the Canada Labour Code within 15 calendar days of receiving requests that are compliant with Canada Industrial Relations Regulations
Key Measure: Percentage of initial Wage Earner Protection Program payments and non-payment notifications issued within 35 calendar days
Core Responsibility 5: Information and Service Delivery for Other Departments Description: Provide information to the public on the programs of the Government of Canada and the Department, and provide services on behalf of other government departments. Government of Canada Telephone General Enquiries Services
Departmental Result: Clients receive high quality, timely and accurate government information and services that meet their needs Indicator: 1 800 O-Canada information completeness, relevancy and accuracy assessment   Government of Canada Internet Presence
In-Person Points of Service
Passport
Indicator: Percentage of clients served in person who received assistance within 25 minutes   Other Government Department Programs
 
Indicator: Number of program services that meet their service standard targets
Departmental Result: Canadians can obtain a passport within Canada in a timely manner Indicator: Percentage of travel documents and other passport services processed within standards

Supporting Information on Programs

Supporting information on ESDC’s programs is available on GC InfoBaseFootnote xxi.

Supplementary Information Tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on ESDC’s website:

Federal tax expenditures

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

Organizational contact information

Head Office

Portage IV
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau QC K1A 0J9
Telephone: 1-800-622-6232
Toll-free: 1-800-622-6232
Website: www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development.htmlFootnote xxiii
Email: NC-SPR-PSR-CPMD-DPMG-GD

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3 year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on an appropriated department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
evaluation (évaluation)
In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.
experimentation (expérimentation)
Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.
full time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. Full time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])
An analytical approach used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that the gender-based analysis goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. Examples of GBA+ processes include using data disaggregated by sex, gender and other intersecting identity factors in performance analysis, and identifying any impacts of the program on diverse groups of people, with a view to adjusting these initiatives to make them more inclusive.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2017–18 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada’s Strength; and Security and Opportunity.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative where 2 or more departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
Management, Resources and Results Structure (structure de gestion, des ressources et des résultats)
A comprehensive framework that consists of an organization’s inventory of programs, resources, results, performance indicators and governance information. Programs and results are depicted in their hierarchical relationship to each other and to the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute. The Management, Resources and Results Structure is developed from the Program Alignment Architecture.
non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)
The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts that receive Treasury Board approval by February 1. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditures presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
priority (priorité)
A plan or project that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Strategic Outcome(s) or Departmental Results.
program (programme)
A group of related resource inputs and activities that are managed to meet specific needs and to achieve intended results and that are treated as a budgetary unit.
Program Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes)
A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.
result (résultat)
An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
Strategic Outcome (résultat stratégique)
A long term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.
sunset program (programme temporisé)
A time limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.

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