Emploi et Développement social Canada | |
Department overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 2003 |
Type |
Department responsible for
|
Jurisdiction | Canada |
Employees | 24,000 |
Ministers responsible | |
Website | www |
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is a department of the Government of Canada responsible for social programs and the labour market at the federal level.
The Department of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) was created in December 2003, when Human Resources Development Canada was split into two separate departments: HRSDC and Social Development Canada. Though they continued to share many common services and operations, HRSDC was to focus on workforce-related aspects of the former HRDC portfolio, while SDC was to focus on social support programs for children, families and seniors. The split was given formal legal effect when the Department of Humans Resources and Skills Development Act and the Department of Social Development Act were enacted in July 2005.
Upon taking office in February 2006, the Conservative Party government of Stephen Harper announced it would recombine the two departments, and through a series of Orders in Council Social Development Canada was folded into HRSDC. Though a Department of Social Development remains in effect in legal terms, it no longer exists in any real sense.
From 2006 to 2008, Social Development's preceding role was reflected by styling the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development as the "Minister of Human Resources and Social Development", and by changing the department's applied title to "Human Resources and Social Development Canada". This practice ended in late 2008 when the title was changed to "Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development." The post was later referred to as "Minister of Employment and Social Development" when the department was renamed.
On November 4, 2015 the department underwent Machinery of Government Changes which saw the employment responsibilities transfer to the Labour Minister resulting in the newly re-titled Minister of Employment, Workforce and Labour. The Social Development aspects were then shaped into the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. The Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities is now tasked with handling the file on persons with disabilities.