Full bibliography

Government run employment agencies are usually regarded as a feature of the modem welfare state. Their appearance in Canada before World War I, however, was not really due to welfare-related concerns. By far the most extensive operations were the immigration services of the federal and various provincial governments. Other labour exchanges were started by Ontario and Quebec, but remained insignificant political ventures. During the war, when the demand for manpower could not be satisfied, the provincial networks grew in importance. The federal government contemplated increasing its own endeavours, but it took the threat of social unrest at the end of hostilities to persuade it to create the Employment Service of Canada.