I don't know the reasons for the difference, but my observation, in looking at these numbers, is that they're too high in all regions that we surveyed: Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.
The system isn't there for people to choose if they would rather sit on employment insurance than be in a job. But employers know that often around hockey season, hunting season, or summer, there are requests from employees who basically want to have a paid holiday. There's often great pressure on the employer to try to say yes to this. We're hoping that business owners say no. Really, the system should be there for people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, and not people who ask to be laid off.