“Seasonal workers are an important part of Canada’s growing economy. To better support them, the Government of Canada provides additional weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits to eligible seasonal workers who live in 1 of 13 targeted EI economic regions.”

“Some people will work less because of that because now they can stay on claim longer,» says Fred Bergman, senior policy analyst with the Atlantic Economic Council, an independent research organization.”

“Pilot Project to Provide Additional Weeks of Benefits to Seasonal Workers as a Result of Low Unemployment Rates […] The amendments to the EI regulations seek to mitigate the impact of decreases in the number of weeks of EI benefit entitlements due to recent declines in unemployment rates in EI economic regions with high concentrations of seasonal claimants and to help reduce the likelihood or the duration of an income gap during the off-season for seasonal claimants. By establishing a pilot project, the amendments will also test whether certain seasonal claimants require more additional weeks of benefits as a result of low unemployment rates.”

“Many seasonal workers—including in fishing and tourism sectors—rely on Employment Insurance for the support they need between work seasons. To address gaps in Employment Insurance support between seasons, the government introduced temporary rules in 2018 to provide up to five additional weeks—for a maximum of 45 weeks—for eligible seasonal workers in 13 economic regions. This support is set to expire in October 2023. Budget 2023 proposes to extend this support for seasonal workers until October 2024. The cost of this measure is estimated at $147 million over tthree years, starting in 2023-24.”

“In Phase 2, worker and employer groups recognized that these workers needed to be better identified in order to better support the workers and the industries.”

“If you’re a seasonal worker from 1 of the economic regions listed above and you start an EI claim from September 26, 2021 to October 28, 2023, you may be eligible for up to 5 additional weeks of regular benefits.”

« Les participants aux consultations s’entendent pour dire que la mise en place d’un régime d’assurance-emploi plus inclusif et mieux adapté nécessitera une stratégie pour en assurer sa viabilité financière à long terme. »

« Au cours des consultations de la phase 1, les participants ont soulevé l’importance d’assurer la viabilité financière à long terme du régime dans le cadre de l’élaboration d’un régime d’assurance-emploi plus inclusif et mieux adapté. »

« En matière d’assurance-emploi, la déception est grande : en ne renouvelant pas les mesures temporaires apportées depuis le début de la pandémie pour améliorer l’admissibilité au régime d’assurance-emploi, la ministre Freeland envoie un très mauvais message aux travailleuses et travailleurs sans-emploi, considère la centrale syndicale, qui réitère la nécessité d’une réforme l’ensemble du programme, dont les travaux traînent en longueur. »

“We are improving Employment Insurance (EI) to meet the needs of workers and employers. Find out what we have done recently to make EI more flexible, inclusive and easier to access.”