November 11, 2011
EI and Unequal Federal Support for Low Income Workers
Jon Medow analyzes regional differentiation in EI weekly benefit calculation and the uneven federal approach to support of low income workers.
Executive Summary
Canadians’ access to unemployment benefits is heavily conditioned by where they live. It is a well-known design feature of the federal EI system that region of residence determines both the length of time at work needed to qualify for benefits and the length of time for which an unemployed worker can collect benefits. Canada is the only country in the world that uses region of residence in this manner to determine the strength of the social safety net for unemployed workers.
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