Thank you, Chair.
My questions are for Professor Forget.
In your recent research about poverty and income security in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, you highlight pre-pandemic trends in the economy, things like a polarization of precarious and low-income work in the labour market, rising consumer debt levels and income insecurity, and ineffective income assistance programs. We've certainly heard the many problems with the current EI system today.
When the pandemic struck, these trends were made worse, certainly highlighted predominantly with BIPOC and disabled people who were forced into low-income and often precarious work, or even deeper levels of poverty. You've written that these trends highlight how poorly existing social programs, especially EI and provincial income assistance, address poverty and income insecurity.
Can you tell us why that's the case, and what changes are needed to improve EI?