First off, it is important to keep in mind that as a result of successive EI reforms, today, less than half of all unemployed workers are entitled to receive employment insurance. In addition to those reforms, the labour market has changed. You mentioned atypical workers and the fact that fewer and fewer people can access EI.
We believe the eligibility thresholds need to be reviewed: if the number of hours changed to 360, EI benefits would be more accessible. Get rid of the qualifying period, which unfairly penalizes people—going two weeks without pay is no small feat. Raise the replacement rate from 50% to 60% and create a program to help older workers.
A large number of people in the manufacturing sector have lost their jobs. When someone older than 55 loses their job, it is incredibly tough for them to upgrade their skills, especially if they didn't get adequate training to start with. So we need to build a bridge to provide these workers with a decent income until they retire. Two or three years ago, research showed that similar support programs for older workers would cost the Canadian government around $200 million. That's just a drop in the bucket, and it would help these people live in dignity until they retire.