That's correct.
Evidence of meeting #62 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #62 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A video is available from Parliament.
6:10 p.m.
Senior Policy Analyst, Labour Markets, Employment and Learning, Department of Finance
That's correct.
6:10 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
I'm not trying to get into a debate on that. I'm just trying to make the particular point. The changes we're talking about now, which have people concerned, have to do with the definition of suitable work, and my understanding is that definition is going to allow the minister to make that determination. Is that correct?
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
The current proposal within the BIA is to provide the authority to the Employment Insurance Commission to make regulations pertaining to the definition of suitable employment and reasonable job search.
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
So this definition will be in the regulations.
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
The current proposal is to provide the Canada Employment Insurance Commission with the authority to make regulations to define what constitutes suitable employment and reasonable job search. So those details will be—
6:10 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
So that's below the minister. The minister won't make that determination.
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
—in the EI regulations that go with the legislation.
6:10 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
But my question is whether the minister will make that decision. Will it be made by people lower than the minister?
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
It is a government decision.
6:10 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
“Government decision” to me says “minister”.
Thanks very much.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Thank you very much for joining us today.
What analysis has the department done to determine that the current definition of unsuitable work is wrong or justifies a change? What was the analysis of that?
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
The definition currently in the Employment Insurance Act is very general in nature and does not give Canadians a sense of what specifically constitutes a reasonable job search. It does not provide clarity in terms of what constitutes suitable employment. As a result, these proposed regulations, as part of the current BIA, would actually provide some clarity for unemployed Canadians who are on EI and looking for work.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
There were over 500,000 EI recipients in February. What percentage of those would you expect to be affected by this change in definition?
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
The proposed definitions will apply to all regular claimants as well as to all fishing claimants. Essentially, the new definitions will apply to all.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Yes, but what percentage of these recipients do you believe will not qualify as a result of this change?
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
These changes are not changing any of the qualifying criteria. They do not affect eligibility—how people will get into the EI program to get benefits—nor do they affect the amount of money they will receive or the duration. They simply clarify what they need to do while they are on claim in terms of looking for work and in terms of the type of work they should be accepting.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
The expectation is that these changes will have an effect in that some of the people will not qualify, or they will affect the quantum of what they receive.
6:10 p.m.
Senior Policy Analyst, Labour Markets, Employment and Learning, Department of Finance
They don't actually have any effect on the amount of benefits people receive or on how long they receive them. They set out what they must do while they are receiving benefits in terms of job search efforts. Should employment opportunities be available that match their skills and that meet the criteria Minister Finley elaborated on last week, they would be expected to take that employment. They don't affect the amount of money they receive or the length of time they receive benefits.
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
And they don't affect how many hours they need.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Have you done any analysis or macroeconomic projections as to what the impact would be on unemployment rates in Canada as a result of this definition change?
6:10 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
No. The objective of this measure is really to help Canadians and support them in getting back to work more quickly. It's going to do that by providing them with enhanced labour market information. In terms of the impact on unemployment, it is really in the sense of helping them get back to work more quickly.
6:15 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
But you haven't done any projections as to the impact on the unemployment rate in Canada.
