July 16, 2026
Forum of Labour Market Ministers met in Halifax to discuss shared priorities
The Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) met in Halifax to discuss shared labour market challenges and opportunities across Canada. The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, federal Minister of Jobs and Families, and the Honourable Nolan Young, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration.
Minister Hajdu opened the meeting with an announcement of an additional $2 billion over five years starting in 2026-27 for new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to expand access to pre-apprenticeship and technical training.
Ministers listened to presentations on the impacts of global economic uncertainty, including trade-related pressures on workers, employers and Pan-Canadian labour markets. Ministers also met with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to discuss the current and future outlook for Canadian labour markets and leaders from Nova Scotia’s construction industry.
Ministers reaffirmed the need to help workers and employers adapt to emerging technologies, strengthen skills development, address labour gaps, support long-term economic growth and foster inclusive participation in the labour market.
Discussions focused on five shared priorities: bolstering the skilled trades workforce, Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTAs), improving labour mobility and foreign credential recognition, improving pathways into the labour market for youth, and supporting workers in an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled economy.
Bolstering the skilled trades workforce
Ministers discussed the need to strengthen Canada’s skilled trades workforce to support major infrastructure projects, foster long-term economic growth and address labour shortages. They highlighted the importance of apprenticeship, training and certification systems in helping workers access opportunities and meet employer needs. Minister Hajdu outlined details of the $6 billion federal initiative that aims to recruit, hire and train up to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades professionals by 2030-31. Ministers underscored that success of this initiative depends on strong collaboration between federal, provincial and territorial governments, building on the apprenticeship, training and certification systems that provinces and territories have built over decades, while respecting the jurisdiction of provinces and territories. Ministers also emphasized the importance of connecting training with real jobs.
Labour Market Transfer Agreements
Ministers discussed the importance of Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTAs) in supporting Canada’s labour market needs.
Provincial and territorial ministers underscored the importance of federal investments in LMTAs keeping pace with population growth, inflation, and supporting the advancement of major projects. Ministers agreed to advance improvements to the existing agreements including identifying best practices, reducing administrative burden and ensuring strong results for Canadians. They also raised areas for further discussion, such as allocation formulas, emphasizing that no province or territory is worse off.
Provincial and territorial ministers also raised concerns regarding planned federal reductions to Workforce Development Agreements (WDA) funding.
Improving labour mobility and foreign credential recognition
Ministers discussed the progress made to date on reducing barriers to labour mobility and improving foreign credential recognition across Canada. They acknowledged that significant progress has been achieved in advancing the Labour Mobility Action Plan to make labour mobility faster, more transparent and with fewer requirements for certified workers to fill jobs wherever they are available.
Ministers stressed the need to accelerate work on labour mobility. Interested jurisdictions will task their deputy ministers to launch a working group to develop more ambitious measures to help Canadians begin working more quickly, and to develop a digital platform to support this objective. The working group will report to Ministers by fall 2026.
They agreed to work together with the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration through the Joint Task Force to address barriers facing internationally trained professionals at all stages, from pre-arrival to labour market integration.[1]
Improving pathways into the labour market for youth
Ministers agreed on the important need to help young people successfully enter the workforce through employment services, training, work-integrated learning and employer partnerships.
They discussed the need to identify promising models that improve youth pathways into the labour market and share their best practices to meet the evolving needs of youth and employers.
Supporting workers in an AI-enabled economy
Ministers discussed the impacts of AI on workers and employers and shared approaches to understanding the effects of AI on labour markets and skills needs. They agreed on the importance of continued collaboration to better understand the impacts of AI on jobs, productivity and workforce development. Ministers committed to deepening their analyses to better contribute to effective workforce and training policies and programs for Canadians.
Ministers reiterated their commitment to continued collaboration on shared labour market priorities and agreed to meet again next year.
About the Forum
The FLMM was established in 1983 as an intergovernmental forum focused on strengthening cooperation on federal, provincial and territorial labour market priorities.
[1] Because of its responsibilities regarding immigration, Québec is not bound by this decision and participates as an observer in any discussions regarding foreign credential recognition.
Quotes
“The Forum of Labour Market Ministers is an important platform for federal, provincial and territorial partners to come together, share perspectives and advance practical solutions to support Canadian workers and employers. At a time of rapid economic and technological change, we are strongest when we work together to build a workforce that is ready for the jobs of tomorrow and to create more opportunities here at home. By continuing to collaborate closely, we can strengthen our economy from within, ensure Canadians have the skills to succeed, and build a more resilient, inclusive and competitive country for the future.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Federal Minister of Jobs and Families and Co-Chair of the FLMM
“Labour market challenges are being felt across the country, and addressing them requires strong collaboration between all orders of government. This meeting was an important opportunity to share ideas, strengthen partnerships and focus on practical solutions that help more Canadians connect to good jobs, build skills and contribute to a strong economy. Nova Scotia was proud to host these discussions and continue advancing this important work with our federal, provincial and territorial partners.”
– The Honourable Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration of Nova Scotia and Co-Chair of the FLMM
May 28, 2025
Labour Market Ministers taking action to improve labour mobility in Canada
Federal, provincial and territorial Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) met virtually on Monday to discuss progress on their joint commitment to breaking down barriers to labour mobility as one of the strategies to mitigate the negative effects of tariffs and unlock the full economic potential of free trade within Canada. The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Federal Minister of Jobs and Families and the Honourable Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration of Nova Scotia.
Over recent months, the FLMM has accelerated efforts to address labour mobility barriers, strengthen Canada’s workforce and get individuals working faster. Ministers agreed that concrete progress has been made on labour mobility, with some jurisdictions having introduced legislation with more ambitious timelines and launched new initiatives to further break down barriers and reduce administrative burden.
Ministers agreed on the actions to be taken by governments to build a more resilient, adaptable and mobile workforce to support stronger domestic economic growth.
This aligns with a commitment made to the First Ministers earlier this year, to collaborate with the Committee on Internal Trade (CIT) on developing a plan for Canada-wide credential recognition that takes into account the unique characteristics of each jurisdiction, such as language provisions, by June 1, 2025. Ministers look forward to providing the CIT with an update on their action plan for labour mobility.
Ministers discussed the value of conducting consultations to determine the best approach while continuing to explore additional opportunities to bolster economic growth, productivity and support for workers. Ministers also discussed possible collaboration with other ministerial tables to tackle areas linked to labour mobility, such as occupational health and safety training and licensing.
Ministers committed to continued information sharing across orders of government and to meet regularly as part of their focused efforts to build a resilient Canadian workforce and economy.
Finally, Ministers reiterated the vital role of Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTAs), which empower the provinces and territories to deliver tailored employment assistance and reskilling services that respond to the unique needs of their respective labour markets. Provincial and territorial ministers reaffirmed their position on the need for additional LMTA funding to support workers in Canada and ensure effective tariff-related responses at this critical time.
The federal minister committed to further discussions with provincial and territorial ministers on LMTA modernization.
About the Forum
The FLMM was established in 1983 as an intergovernmental forum aimed at strengthening cooperation on federal, provincial and territorial labour market priorities.
Quotes
“To build one Canadian economy, we need to make it easier for workers in every province and territory to find good jobs. Canada’s labour market ministers agree. We can do more and faster—and today, we set out to do that together.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Federal Minister of Jobs and Families, and Co-Chair of the FLMM
“By strengthening labour mobility and breaking down barriers to credential recognition, we can help Canadians get to work faster—no matter where their skills are needed. This kind of collaboration is key to building a more resilient workforce and supporting long-term prosperity across the country.”
– Honourable Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration of Nova Scotia and Co-Chair of the FLMM
February 26, 2025
Labour Market Ministers Prepare to Respond to Potential Tariff Impacts
The Forum of Labour Market Ministers met virtually yesterday for discussions as all governments prepare an appropriate response to mitigate the impacts of potential U.S. tariffs on the workforce.
This meeting followed previous ministerial discussions on January 31, 2025, when Ministers explored possible solutions to address labour market issues in Canada resulting from the threat of U.S. tariffs. At that time, Ministers also discussed what federal, provincial and territorial governments could put in place to actively contribute to strengthening Canada’s workforce and economy.
April 23, 2024
Provincial and Territorial Labour Market Ministers Call on Federal Government to Reinstate the $625 million in Labour Market Transfer Funds Cut in Budget 2024.
Provincial and Territorial labour market ministers call the federal decision to cut $625 million from labour market transfers extremely disappointing and warn of the damaging implications it will have on Canadian workers and their families. Amidst a national labour shortage, this cut rolls skills and employment training funding back to pre-2017 levels and will have lasting impacts on Canada’s economic competitiveness.
January 16, 2024
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Labour Market Ministers meet in Winnipeg to discuss ongoing priorities to support Canadians
Federal, Provincial and Territorial labour market Ministers met in Winnipeg today to discuss a wide range of priorities concerning Canada’s labour market, including the changing labour market outlook, the importance of renewed collaboration on Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTAs), improving labour market mobility and credential recognition, and innovation and developments in supports that strengthen the workforce in all jurisdictions. The Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages and the Honourable Jamie Moses, Manitoba Minister of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources.
Click here to view our archives to see releases from past years.
Federal, provincial and territorial labour market Ministers actively engage in the FLMM and meet, whenever needed, to address common labour market matters.
February 26, 2025
Labour Market Ministers Prepare to Respond to Potential Tariff Impacts
The Forum of Labour Market Ministers met virtually yesterday for discussions as all governments prepare an appropriate response to mitigate the impacts of potential U.S. tariffs on the workforce.
This meeting followed previous ministerial discussions on January 31, 2025, when Ministers explored possible solutions to address labour market issues in Canada resulting from the threat of U.S. tariffs. At that time, Ministers also discussed what federal, provincial and territorial governments could put in place to actively contribute to strengthening Canada’s workforce and economy.
April 23, 2024
Provincial and Territorial Labour Market Ministers Call on Federal Government to Reinstate the $625 million in Labour Market Transfer Funds Cut in Budget 2024.
Provincial and Territorial labour market ministers call the federal decision to cut $625 million from labour market transfers extremely disappointing and warn of the damaging implications it will have on Canadian workers and their families. Amidst a national labour shortage, this cut rolls skills and employment training funding back to pre-2017 levels and will have lasting impacts on Canada’s economic competitiveness.
January 16, 2024
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Labour Market Ministers meet in Winnipeg to discuss ongoing priorities to support Canadians
Federal, Provincial and Territorial labour market Ministers met in Winnipeg today to discuss a wide range of priorities concerning Canada’s labour market, including the changing labour market outlook, the importance of renewed collaboration on Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTAs), improving labour market mobility and credential recognition, and innovation and developments in supports that strengthen the workforce in all jurisdictions. The Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages and the Honourable Jamie Moses, Manitoba Minister of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources.
Click here to view our archives to see releases from past years.
