Ontario Targeted Wage Subsidy


The Ontario Targeted Wage Subsidy is designed to:

  • provide on-the-job work experience to unemployed people who are or have recently been eligible to receive Employment Insurance and are experiencing difficulty in finding work;
  • enable employers to hire people who face barriers to employment (people they might not otherwise hire) by offering temporary wage subsidies.

Who can apply?

Individual job seekers

Job seekers who are unemployed can apply to participate if they meet one of the following conditions:

  • They established a claim for Employment Insurance benefits or their Employment Insurance benefit period ended within the past three years.
  • They established a claim for Employment Insurance maternity or parental benefits and were paid benefits within the past five years, and are re-entering the labour force after having left it to care for newborn or newly adopted children.

For the purpose of determining whether an individual qualifies as a participant, the date the completed application is received by Employment Ontario is the date when he or she is considered to have requested assistance.

Other criteria may apply.

Employers

The following organizations are eligible to apply for the Ontario Targeted Wage Subsidy:

  • businesses, non-profit organizations, municipalities, First Nations councils, public health and educational institutions

Other criteria may apply.

How can I get more information?

Call the toll-free Employment Ontario hotline at 1-800-387-5656, TTY (telephone service for the deaf) 1-866-768-1157 for more information about how to access Ontario Targeted Wage Subsidy services in your area. Newcomers to Ontario can ask for this information in the language of their choice.