
Why it’s tough to verify some of Mark Carney’s claims about ‘protected’ jobs
BNN Bloomberg
Prime Minister Mark Carney has made a series of claims recently about how much the federal government’s support for tariff-stricken industries has protected jobs in Canada.
Some of his figures on the number of workers being supported come close to federal records. Experts say that while there are models that can help estimate job creation tied to federal programs, measuring their impact on the labour market is seldom an exact science.
Since March 2025, the federal government has announced multiple measures to protect Canadian industries and workers vulnerable to U.S. tariffs. These measures have included changes to make it easier to access employment insurance, large pools of funds to help companies hold on to their workers and policies that encourage domestic firms to buy Canadian.
Speaking at an auto parts manufacturer in Woodbridge, Ont. on Feb. 5, Carney touted the results of what he called “the most comprehensive set of trade resilience measures in Canada’s history.”
“Our measures have created and protected 18,000 jobs across steel, aluminum, lumber and the auto sector. They’ve prevented more than 20,000 layoffs,” he said.
“We provided income supports for more than 6,000 workers, with a total of 190,000 more expected to benefit, including in the auto sector.”













