Governments of Canada and Manitoba partner to support tariff-impacted workers and strengthen the workforce

WINNIPEG, MB, June 5, 2026 /CNW/ - The global trade landscape is shifting rapidly, creating uncertainty and challenges for workers, industries and communities across Canada. In a rapidly changing world, the Government of Canada is focusing on what it can control: building a stronger more resilient Canada. This calls for decisive action from governments at all levels to protect jobs, strengthen local economies and ensure workers can adapt to changing economic realities.

Workers whose jobs have been directly or indirectly impacted by global tariffs will receive support to help them adapt, retrain and succeed, as a result of a partnership agreement announced today by the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, and alongside the Honourable Jamie Moses, Manitoba's Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation.

Specifically, $18.2 million over three years will be invested through the new Canada–Manitoba Workforce Tariff Response to support workers and employers in sectors directly and indirectly affected by tariffs, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and wholesale trade. This new funding will help over 2,100 workers in Manitoba build new skills.

To deliver these supports, Manitoba is launching the Canada–Manitoba Workforce Tariff Response Program to help workers access training, build new skills and support employers to remain competitive and adapt to global trade conditions.

The program includes six targeted pathways to build in-demand skills and support tariff-affected workers and businesses, including direct employment services, skilled trades training, skills development training, self-employment supports, demand-led training partnerships and employee training to help businesses retain and upskill their workforce. The program is designed to support:

• unemployed workers seeking to gain new skills for in-demand jobs;
• workers whose employers are participating in Work-Sharing agreements, so that they may upskill or retrain as these industries adapt; and,
• workers seeking new skills to improve their resiliency within companies directly affected by tariffs and global market shifts or their supply chains, or within communities that rely heavily on those companies, such as single-industry communities.

Implementation of the partnership agreement will leverage both existing and new or enhanced mechanisms and will benefit from the input of labour and business representatives. Coordinating directly with impacted businesses to protect jobs and strengthening data‑sharing will give tariff‑affected workers and those in Work‑Sharing agreements improved opportunities for upskilling or retraining, in a changing economic landscape.

This transformative new approach reflects a shared commitment by the governments of Canada and Manitoba to support Canadians through a period of significant economic adjustment, while building a strong, confident workforce--one where workers can navigate global uncertainty and industries can remain competitive in the global marketplace.

Quotes

"Canada's workforce is strongest when employers and training partners work together. As global trade evolves, no worker will be left behind. Through the Workforce Tariff Response, that means providing the tools and training workers need to secure good jobs, continue building strong communities, and ensure Canada remains resilient in the face of global challenges."
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

"As global markets shift, Canada's new government is protecting workers impacted by tariffs and positioning them to thrive. By partnering with Manitoba, we are helping workers in tariff impacted sectors gain the skills and resources they need to seize new opportunities. This investment strengthens communities, supports good jobs, reinforces resilience, as well as increases Canada's competitiveness in an unpredictable global economy."
– The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Member of Parliament for Churchill Keewatinook Aski

"With the on-going uncertainty caused by tariffs, our government is doing the work to ensure all Manitoban's whose livelihoods are impacted are supported. This investment will help the workers and businesses in our province affected by these tariffs and aligns with our broader strategy of strengthening our economy by creating the robust, skilled workforce that we will need as we build towards our future."
– The Honourable Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation

Quick facts 

• Through the Canada-Manitoba Workforce Tariff Response, the governments of Canada and Manitoba are delivering targeted training and employment services funded through Employment Insurance contributions by workers and employers, helping workers return to the labour market more quickly and strengthening community resilience.
• The Government of Canada also invests nearly $76 million annually through the Labour Market Development Agreements and the Workforce Development Agreements in Manitoba, which support training and employment services for approximately 28,000 people each year, including: 
  • 12,000 people who secure employment within about six months of receiving support;
  • 12,000 youth (15 to 29 years old);
  • 10,000 mid-career workers (35 to 54 years old); and
  • 8,500 workers from the trades, including 3,600 apprentices. 
• At the national level, the agreement prepares workers to seize emerging opportunities, such as those that will be generated through national initiatives, including Major Projects, Build Canada Homes, and the Defence Industrial Strategy.
• As of April 2026, Manitoba's unemployment rate stands at 5%.

Associated links

• The Workforce Tariff Response: Preparing Canadian workers for the jobs of the future
• Canada-Manitoba Workforce Tariff Response Program
• Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to protect and strengthen Canada's steel industry
• Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to transform Canada's softwood lumber industry
• Prime Minister Carney launches new measures to protect, build, and transform Canadian strategic industries
• Minister Hajdu announces actions to grow and protect workers

(Follow us on X (Twitter)

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Contacts: For media inquiries, please contact: Jennifer Kozelj, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]; Keigan Buckley, Press Secretary, Cabinet Communications, Manitoba Government, [email protected]