Moving towards employment and income security
For many, meaningful employment is the most effective means of exiting poverty for good. A stable job instills confidence and hope for the future.
Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy will support working families, youth and vulnerable populations through financial and employment assistance.
We have made progress toward increasing employment and income security for Ontarians. Since 2013, we have helped more than 26,500 young people find jobs, get training and gain valuable work experience through the Youth Employment Fund. In 2014, Employment Ontario also assisted more than 684,000 individuals to find and keep jobs through access to job search, matching, placement and training supports.
Key achievements in 2014
In 2014, some of the steps we took to help increase employment and income security include:
- Increasing the minimum wage and indexing it to the Ontario Consumer Price Index, helping families keep up with the changing costs of living.
- Launching the Aboriginal Economic Development Fund to provide grants and financing to Aboriginal businesses, communities and organizations.
- Continuing annual increases for people receiving Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support benefits.
- Increasing support by $50 per month for single adults without children receiving Ontario Works.
- Replacing the Northern Allowance with the Remote Communities Allowance. The new allowance provides $50 more per month for individuals and families, plus an additional $25 for each family member. This is an increase of 13% since 2013 for a single person without children receiving Ontario Works and living in a remote community.
Moving forward, we will continue to focus on helping individuals become and stay employed. We are also taking steps to provide today’s workers with the retirement income security they deserve.
Read the 2014 Annual Report.
Employment and income support services:
Ontario Electricity Support Program
Training and employment services for youth:
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
Youth Job Strategy: Youth Employment Fund, Youth Entrepreneurship Fund
Services and benefits for vulnerable populations:
Ontario Disability Support Program
Aboriginal Economic Development Fund
Ontario Retirement Pension Plan
Guaranteed Annual Income System
Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant
Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Program