EDMONTON — Alberta's NDP government has scrapped a plan to help create 27,000 jobs by rewarding businesses that hire new employees.
The incentive program once hailed by Premier Rachel Notley was to offer tax credits worth $89 million in the first year for businesses creating jobs.
New hiring was to be encouraged by refunding 10 per cent of each new employee's salary to a maximum salary of $50,000.
Economic Development Minister Deron Bilous says employers in the business community just didn't like the idea.
He says the government will instead introduce a plan in Thursday's budget that includes $10 million to support innovation and job creation in Calgary and Edmonton.
Alberta's unemployment rate this spring is just over seven per cent due to thousands of job losses in the slumping energy sector.
