The Hole in Ontario’s Budget: WSIB’s Unfunded Liability

Ontario faces a $19.7 billion unfunded liability at its Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) based on a fair-value accounting approach, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “The Hole in Ontario’s Budget: WSIB’s Unfunded Liability,” authors Colin Busby and Finn Poschmann say the WSIB,  which levies employer premiums intended to fund benefits for employees injured in the workplace, has a problem that needs addressing: the WSIB’s pace of revenue collection and asset accumulation has not matched growth in current and expected benefit entitlements.