The federal government continued their preview of November’s budget revealing a slew of new measures it says will help create and protect Canadian jobs.
Speaking in Ottawa today, the Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu said that November’s budget will create a Foreign Credential Recognition Action Fund that is expected to help foreign-trained professionals find jobs in their field faster.
The $97-million fund, which Ottawa says will be sourced from existing departmental resources, will be dispersed over five years starting in 2026-2027.
“So with Budget 2025, this is about investing in people, spending on less on things that are not giving us the results we want and focusing our efforts on building a stronger and more independent Canada,” said Patty Hajdu the Minister of Jobs and Families.
The budget, she said, will also expand the Union Training and Innovation Program to boost union-based apprenticeship training in the Red Seal trades. Budget 2025 will provide $75 million over three years starting in 2026-2027 for the expansion.
“We are not just going to create those jobs, we are going to create pathways to meaningful long-term careers that will really build Canada strong,” Hajdu said.
Ottawa also intends to amend the Criminal Labour Code to restrict the use of non-compete agreements for employees of federally regulated businesses and introduce a temporary five-year Personal Support Workers Tax Credit that will provide eligible workers with up to $1,100 a year. Ottawa says it will be available for the 2026 to 2030 taxation years.
The new tax credit, however, will only be available to taxpayers in provinces and territories that have not signed onto bilateral agreements with Ottawa to increase wages for personal support workers.
“We’ve entered a time of deep global uncertainly and change. The United States has fundamentally changed their approach to trade and as a result we have to transform our economic strategy here in Canada,” said Hajdu. “We are building the future together by protecting our communities, empowering our families and investing in Canada.”
