Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

Template:Short description Template:Infobox official postTemplate:Sidebar with collapsible lists The minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour (Template:Langx) was the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who was responsible for Employment and Social Development Canada, the Government of Canada department that oversees programs such as employment insurance, the Canada pension plan, old age security, and Canada student loans. On March 14, 2025 the position was abolished, its responsibilities being consolidated into the new position of Minister of Jobs and Families.

History

The ministerial responsibility for employment has its origins in the October 1, 1966 cabinet reshuffle, when Jean Marchand's portfolio was renamed from Minister of Immigration and Citizenship to Minister of Manpower and Immigration, Along with this change, minister Marchand was tasked by Prime Minister Lester Pearson to draft a White paper to renew Canada's immigration policy. Pearson wanted to removed all discriminatory clauses remaining in Canada's immigration regulations, and instead facilitate the immigration of qualified workers from Asia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The following year, Canada introduced its first point system to rank potential immigrants for eligibility. It originally consisted of 9 categories: education, occupation, professional skills, age, arranged employment, knowledge of English and/or French, relatives in Canada and "personal characteristics". To qualify for immigration 50 points out of 100 were necessary in 1967.<ref>Gogia, N., and Slade, B. (2011), About Canada: Immigration, Fernwood Pub, Halifax, NS</ref>

In 1977, the portfolio was renamed Minister of Employment and Immigration, a move that reflected the importance of attracting and retaining economic immigrants for Canadian governments in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 12 July 1996, the office of the Minister of Employment and Immigration was abolished and replaced with the office of Minister of Human Resources Development. The portfolio for immigration was transferred to the office of Minister of Citizenship and Immigration following the reorganization of the government and formation of the department for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.<ref name=":0">"Employment and Immigration (1977-08-15 - 1996-07-11)." ParlInfo. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2020 October 30.</ref><ref name=":1">"Order Transferring to the Department of Employment and Immigration...and Transferring to the Minister of Employment and Immigration...and Combining the Department of Employment and Immigration and the Department of Labour Under the Minister of Employment and Immigration."</ref><ref name=":2">"Canada. Employment and Immigration Canada (Department)." Library of Congress.</ref>

On February 6, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper transferred the responsibilities of the Minister of Social Development into this portfolio. Although the legislated names did not change, in accordance with this amalgamation the Minister was for a while styled the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and the department operated as Human Resources and Social Development Canada. This ceased on October 30, 2008, and the name returned to the legislated one.

In 2015, the Employment portfolio was merged into the expanded ministry of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.<ref>"Here are all 30 cabinet ministers at a glance".The Ottawa Citizen , November 11, 2015</ref>

In 2019, following the 2019 Canadian federal election, the portfolio was split between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, with Carla Qualtrough being appointed the new minister on November 20.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2023, the Official Languages portfolio was merged into the expanded ministry of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, with Randy Boissonnault being appointed the new minister on July 26, 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2024, responsibility for labour was folded back into the portfolio while responsibility for official languages was split off; consequently, the position reverted to its former title of Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, with incumbent Labour minister Steven MacKinnon being appointed to the post. The position was abolished the following year and its responsibilities consolidated into the new position of Minister of Jobs and Families, with MacKinnon becoming its inaugural holder.

List of ministers

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office		Political party	Ministry
Minister of Manpower and Immigration
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" rowspan="2" |1	File:Jean Marchand1.jpg	Jean Marchand	October 1, 1966	April 20, 1968	Liberal	19 (Pearson)
April 20, 1968			July 5, 1968	20 (P. E. Trudeau)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 2	File:Allan MacEachen.jpg	Allan MacEachen	July 5, 1968			September 23, 1970
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 3		Otto Lang	September 24, 1970			January 27, 1972
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 4		Bryce Mackasey	January 28, 1972			November 26, 1972
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 5		Bob Andras	November 27, 1972			September 13, 1976
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 6		Bud Cullen	September 14, 1976			August 14, 1977
Minister of Employment and Immigration
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | (6)		Bud Cullen	August 15, 1977	June 3, 1979	Liberal	20 (P. E. Trudeau)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 7		Ron Atkey	June 4, 1979	March 2, 1980	Progressive Conservative	21 (Clark)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 8		Lloyd Axworthy	March 3, 1980	August 11, 1983	Liberal	22 (P. E. Trudeau)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" rowspan="2" |9		John Roberts	August 12, 1983	June 29, 1984
June 30, 1984			September 16, 1984	23 (Turner)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 10	File:Flora MacDonald 1979 (cropped).jpg	Flora MacDonald	September 17, 1984	June 29, 1986	Progressive Conservative	24 (Mulroney)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 11		Benoît Bouchard	June 30, 1986	March 30, 1988
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 12		Barbara McDougall	March 31, 1988	April 20, 1991
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" rowspan="2" | 13		Bernard Valcourt	April 21, 1991	June 24, 1993
June 25, 1993			November 3, 1993	25 (Campbell)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | (8)		Lloyd Axworthy (second time)	November 4, 1993	January 24, 1996	Liberal	26 (Chrétien)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 14		Doug Young	January 25, 1996	July 11, 1996
Minister of Human Resources Development
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | (14)		Doug Young	July 12, 1996	October 3, 1996	Liberal	26 (Chrétien)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 15	File:Pierre Pettigrew at the 21st Annual CAF Conference (37109754875) (cropped).jpg	Pierre Pettigrew	October 4, 1996	August 2, 1999
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 16		Jane Stewart	August 3, 1999	December 11, 2003
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 17	File:Volpe.jpg	Joe Volpe	December 12, 2003	January 14, 2005	Liberal	27 (Martin)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 18	File:No image.svg	Lucienne Robillard	January 14, 2005	May 17, 2005	Liberal
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 19	File:Belinda Head Shot - Golf Rocks.JPG	Belinda Stronach	May 17, 2005	February 5, 2006	Liberal
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" |20	File:MPDianeFinley.jpg	Diane Finley	February 6, 2006	January 3, 2007	Conservative	28 (Harper)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" |21	File:Monte Solberg.jpg	Monte Solberg	January 4, 2007	October 29, 2008	Conservative
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" |(20)	File:MPDianeFinley.jpg	Diane Finley	October 30, 2008	July 15, 2013	Conservative	28 (Harper)
Minister of Employment and Social Development
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" |22	File:Jason Kenney in 2019 - cropped.jpg	Jason Kenney	July 15, 2013	February 9, 2015	Conservative	28 (Harper)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" |23	File:Pierre Poilievre.jpg	Pierre Poilievre	February 9, 2015	November 4, 2015	Conservative
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 24		MaryAnn Mihychuk	November 4, 2015	January 10, 2017	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 25	File:Patty Hajdu.jpg	Patty Hajdu<ref>"Justin Trudeau adds fresh faces in cabinet shuffle". Maclean's, Joan Bryden, Jan 10, 2017</ref>	January 10, 2017	November 20, 2019	Liberal
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; color:white" | 26	File:Carla Qualtrough MP.jpg	Carla Qualtrough	November 20, 2019	July 26, 2023	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;color:white" |27	File:Randy Boissonnault.jpg	Randy Boissonnault	July 26, 2023	November 20, 2024	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;color:white" |28	File:Ginette Petitpas Taylor 0Q2A8363 (cropped).jpg	Ginette Petitpas Taylor	November 20, 2024	December 20, 2024	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
scope="row" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;color:white" |29	File:REUNIÓN CON STEVEN MACKINNON, MINISTRO DE ASUNTOS PARLAMENTARIOS, 05 DE MARZO DE 2024 (cropped).jpg	Steven MacKinnon	December 20, 2024	Incumbent	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)
Position discontinued, replaced by the Minister of Jobs and Families

Further reading

• {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

{{#invoke:Navbox|navbox}}