Toronto, Ontario, Nov. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ford government unveiled its fall economic statement yesterday after approving the largest spending budget in Ontario's history earlier this year.
“The Ford government's fiscal planning is designed for an imaginary Ontario, not the one we live in,” said J.P. Hornick, president of OPSEU/SEFPO. “The jobs-focused plan fails to invest billions in capital projects while more than 700,000 Ontarians remain unemployed and unemployment is projected to rise sharply.”
Hornik suggests the economic statement released today also paints a bleak future that's frustrating for young people, noting that as of June 2025, nearly one in four teenagers in the province were unemployed.
“You can't defend against tariffs by replicating the worst parts of the American economy—privatizing public services, destroying education, and putting corporate handouts above the daily needs of working people,” Hornick added.
Government services act as “automatic stabilizers“In times of crisis, keeping the economy afloat, providing a safety net for workers laid off or changing careers, and providing support for families.
“Do you want to retain and attract talent and investment to Ontario? Start by prioritizing our strong public services that attract people and businesses from around the world,” Hornik said. “Ontario's construction workers and their families rely on these services every day.”
Per capita funding for social services in the province is slated to be cut by more than 20% between 2017 and 2027. According to FAO report published this yearspending on children, community and social services – a sector in which the vast majority of women are employed – will have to increase by 4.2% over the next 3 years just to maintain current levels of services.
Yesterday afternoon's announcement also cut job creation targets set by the Ford government earlier this year – another key metric it failed to hit, along with missed targets on housing construction and emissions reductions.
“Ford appears to be on track to achieve one goal: to prioritize projects that reward its developer friends,” Hornick said. “Meanwhile, more than 50,000 community and social service workers are still waiting to make up lost wages under his government’s unconstitutional Bill 124.”
The Ford government has recently come under fire for what critics call “circular economy“, with hundreds of millions in the Skills Development Fund awarded to private sector recipients with direct ties to elected officials and their families, associated lobbyists and prominent Progressive Conservative Party donors.
“Cracks are starting to show in this government's ploy to pay off its friends and wealthy corporations using the hard-earned tax dollars of working people in this province,” Hornick said. “Trump and his tariffs are just a convenient scapegoat. The real crisis is Ford’s plan for a corrupt and corporate Ontario.”
