Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I certainly thank the presenters for their various presentations.
There's no question that our economy has been showing signs of recovery. The job numbers we've seen most recently, with 21,000 in the last five of seven months, showed positive gains. That's certainly good, but we've come through a difficult period and things are still fragile.
Certainly, recovery from the global recession is an important aspect for everyone, and HRSD, of course, does play a vital role, not only in service delivery, but I think in supporting many Canadians during this global recession.
I'm trying to put some of this in context. I know that a number of programs were a result of the economic action plan, which has been extended over two years. We're into year two. I'm trying to get some numbers around those programs, if I can.
The work-sharing program was one that was put in place over the last year and has been extended under the new budget. Most recently, I had an opportunity to speak to Mr. Georgetti, who was talking about that particular program and seemed quite pleased with it. It has been working reasonably well with respect to some of the employers and employees I've talked to.
Can you give us some sense of the job numbers that may have been preserved as a result of that program and how many are in place now, and what the department may have done with respect to the eligibility requirements and ensuring that this program is fully flowing? Can you give me some idea about that?