The data exists—and I know where to get it, that's what I do for a living—on whether or not those people you mentioned are more likely to be working part time than other Canadians. I suspect the answer is yes. People working in the rural area are more likely to have a part-time job.
Because they're working part time for all the reasons I've indicated, they're less likely to be eligible for EI benefits if they lose their job, because of the 1996 changes.