Toronto — The Ontario government is imposing a hiring freeze across provincial agencies, boards, and commission public bodies starting September 27, 2025, in what officials describe as a move to rein in growth and direct resources to frontline services.
The measure, announced Thursday by Caroline Mulroney, President of the Treasury Board, is part of a broader effort to ensure fiscal discipline and operational efficiency across the provincial public sector.
A Move to Rein in Growth
“Effective September 27, 2025, our government is implementing a hiring freeze across Ontario’s provincial agencies, boards and commission public bodies,” Mulroney said in a statement. “This freeze will support the government’s ongoing efforts to be disciplined and responsible with taxpayer money while putting more resources into frontline service delivery and back into the pockets of taxpayers.”
The province cited what it called “significant growth” in provincial agencies since 2023. According to the government, agency staff levels have expanded at a pace more than five times that of the Ontario Public Service (OPS). By contrast, the OPS has been under a hiring freeze since 2018.
Mulroney argued that the OPS has managed to sustain service delivery despite the freeze, noting that it has “continued to serve the people of Ontario with professionalism, dedication and effectiveness, successfully focusing on frontline service delivery.” The government is now extending that same approach to agencies and other public bodies.
Balancing Discipline With Investment
The announcement affects organizations that play a central role in delivering public goods and services across Ontario. These include agencies tied to the province’s major infrastructure priorities such as hospitals, highways, and transit projects.
“Provincial agencies, boards and commission public bodies are essential to the delivery of public goods and services, including our government’s ambitious plan to build new hospitals, transit, highways and other infrastructure, which is the largest plan of its kind in Canada’s history,” Mulroney said.
She emphasized that the government will continue to make “record investments” in these areas but stressed that funding must remain targeted. “The government will continue its record investments to support these bodies as they deliver on the province’s ambitious agenda, while ensuring these investments are dedicated to frontline service delivery,” she said.
Oversight and Efficiency Goals
The hiring freeze is also being linked to broader efforts to enhance oversight of provincial agencies and strengthen accountability for how they use public funds.
“These measures are part of our government’s plan to enhance oversight and strengthen data collection across our provincial agencies, boards and commission public bodies, to ensure they are working as efficiently and effectively as possible,” Mulroney said.
Since 2018, Ontario has reduced the number of provincial agencies from 191 to 143 as part of a wider strategy to streamline operations and reduce duplication. The hiring freeze builds on that record, reinforcing the government’s message that fiscal prudence remains a guiding principle.
Implementation and Next Steps
In the weeks ahead, provincial officials will work with agencies and public bodies to bring their human resource strategies in line with the new directive. The government has not indicated how long the freeze will remain in place but said it will form part of its ongoing mandate.
“In the coming weeks, the province will work with its agencies, boards and commission public bodies to ensure their human resource strategies align with this direction as we deliver on our mandate to the people of Ontario,” Mulroney said.
The move is expected to spark debate among public sector stakeholders, with questions likely to focus on how the freeze will affect capacity, recruitment, and delivery of services amid ongoing infrastructure projects. For now, the government is framing the measure as a necessary step to keep growth in check and prioritize taxpayer dollars.
