According to the “economists” and “Harpers Government” the recession is over, they obviously are not out there looking for a full time job. Much hype about 27,000 jobs created in the last month but little about most of those being part time and there still being a deposit in regard to the total # of jobs. The unemployment rate has NOT gone down the latest from statscan (June numbers released Aug 25th) say that over 816,00 Canadians are collecting EI (up from (777,00 in May) and who knows how many who have run out. I suspect the municipalities are going to see a substantial increase in the social assistance rolls this winter. (anyone know of a source for data on that?)
“In August, part-time employment rose by 31,000. Since October, full-time work has dropped by 486,000 (-3.5%), partially offset by increases in part time of 99,000 (+3.1%).”
“The unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage points to 8.7%” (9.7% locally)
For those that have a job and have never collected EI I will point out that if over the year previous to collecting EI you were employed part time your benefit period is reduced substantially in addition to the actual payments. This is irregardless to how long you were continually employed or if until recent times that was full time work during which time you paid into the system at the appropriate rate. Further all should be aware that having then run your claim out you will not be eligible for EI again until you have worked the minimum number of hours required (which changes dependent upon the unemployment rate). Your previous work record and payments notwithstanding.
To add insult to injury our “Harpers Government” who robbed the EI fund 2 years ago to make their books look good now are saying that in order to “balance the EI books” that they are going to have to raise the premiums in order to cover the increased number of EI claims over the next couple of years. Wait a minute, didn’t they say the recession was over and what happened to that 52 BILLION transferred from the EI fund to general revenue in 2008?
Canada's employment insurance "surplus" stands at $54 billion (Dec 2007)
“One of the basic questions we have is why is it that this crown corporation has only been set up with a fund of $2 billion, when even the Auditor General of Canada says that what is required for insurance purposes is closer to $10 billion to $15 billion.” Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): HANSARD June 2, 2008
Back in February I said - I expect Ontario numbers to show %100 increase over the previous year in EI benefits being paid out by May (given that the stats are 30 to 60 day behind and payments are delayed by 30 to 60 days on average). In 2006 the annual amount paid out was 12 billion (all of Canada), I’m guessing 5 to 8 billion for Ontario alone this year! I also predict that thing are not going to improve much over the summer and that thousands of these folk are going to be “off the list” by fall and still have no job.
Woops, its “only” at 109% here in Ontario for June (or 118% depending upon which table you look at) year over year!!
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