HALIFAX, NS, July 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- 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.

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

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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.

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada