A Review of the Potential Impacts of the Métis Human Resources Development Agreements in Canada

Since 1999, thousands of Métis have received training and found employment through Métis Human Resources Development Agreements (MHRDAs). We estimate MHRDA activities’ annual fiscal impact, which includes higher tax revenue,lower government transfers, mostly in the form of EI and social assistance, and lower health expenditures. Based on results from the 2007-2008 fiscal year, we estimate the annual fiscal impact of one year of activity to be between $4.2 and $47.9 million, with a higher probability associated to the lower-bound estimate than the upper-bound estimate.On a long-term basis, the discounted fiscal benefits outweigh program costs (about $49 million for one year of activity) in all cases but the one based on a the lower-bound estimate and highest discount rate. Our middle-bound estimate suggests annual fiscal benefits of $8.5 million, with long-term benefits reaching $103 million. Given that benefits from Métis training and employment encompass more than what is captured in this analysis, the return from the MHRDA for Canadian society appears to be well worth the investment.