Status of Women Committee on March 10th, 2009

[Paul Thompson]

You're talking about eligibility for employment insurance or other programs?

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Even though you're saying that the rate and variation are reviewed periodically, I believe the statistics presented don't reflect the current reality of unemployment in my community. It's much higher. In my opinion, there is an imbalance that I find discriminatory. It has to be made more accessible to more people, particularly since we are in economic distress. That's my comment: there isn't enough sensitivity.

[Paul Thompson]

I don't know what the question is; that's an observation. The figures give an indication of the eligibility situation. There have been a lot of regular changes since October: 19 regions have had eligibility changes.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Is it possible to know how many people have their applications rejected?

[Paul Thompson]

How many rejections there are?

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Their applications are rejected either because they do not meet the standards or because they aren't eligible. There are all kinds of reasons. How many people in a given region apply for benefits and are rejected for one reason or another?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

This is your last question, so maybe you can make your answer short.

[Paul Thompson]

I think my answer would be a long one, unfortunately, because access to EI can be a complicated subject.

Some people aren't eligible for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is that a number of those people do not contribute to the program. Nearly 30% of unemployed workers don't contribute to employment insurance. In that case, they aren't eligible for benefits. Another 16% aren't eligible because of their job separation. It might have been a voluntary leaving or something like that.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Can we get some figures? These people file a claim and register.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You'll have to wrap that up now. Thank you.

[Paul Thompson]

It's hard to get specific figures on people who don't receive benefits because a number of them don't file claims.

[Louis Beauséjour]

Among the unemployed workers—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Monsieur Beauséjour, perhaps we can give that answer some other time, in another round.

[Louis Beauséjour]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I now have to go to Ms. Davidson.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much for presenting here today. We've heard some interesting comments and clarifications on some of the things we've heard before when other witnesses were discussing EI and the program in general.

It's encouraging to see the statistics you've presented showing an increase in women in the post-secondary field, and the proportion of Canadian women employed exceeding the G-7 average. Those are all extremely good things that Canada needs to be proud of. Women's unemployment rates have been below those of men since the early 1990s, and I don't think that is always recognized. So I thank you for pointing those things out.

However, you've said that women still earn less than men in Canada, and it's important we keep that in mind. There's also the fact that the current downturn has been felt more by men than by women. You've addressed that to a certain extent by saying that most of the unemployment to this point has been in full-time positions. That certainly does make a difference.

We have a lot of things already in place that assist and favour women, such as maternity benefits and compassionate leave. But are there things in the action plan that's been put forward that will proportionately favour women?

[Paul Thompson]

A number of the measures are not gender-specific, so we expect there would be significant benefits for women from them.

One I would point to that has particular importance for women is the commitment the government made to establish a panel to look at self-employed individuals and their eligibility for parental and maternity benefits. That can be a fairly complex issue that will require a bit of consultation because of the different nature of self-employment, the different circumstances people find themselves in, and the different needs of this population. So the idea of establishing a panel to look at the nature of that program is one of the commitments I would note in particular.

On some of the other measures, insofar as their concerns about access to employment insurance, I would again point to the program that Louis Beauséjour spoke to--the strategic training and transition fund that the government has established and is administered by provinces--with $500 million over two years. It has none of the eligibility limitations of EI-based training. That's one area that's been made more flexible, and provinces can use it in that manner.

[Louis Beauséjour]

If we look at part-time workers versus full-time workers, we know that people working part-time qualify for fewer weeks than full-time workers. If you look at what the part-time worker is qualified for, the proportion is bigger--it is five weeks more for the 40 minimum. People who have the minimum hours to qualify now only get 14 weeks. In providing five more weeks for all workers they will get 19 weeks. This is more significant in terms of proportion than if they qualified with more hours.

[Allen Sutherland]

You mentioned the government's action plan in general. There are certainly some things outside of HRSD that also benefit women, particularly vulnerable women. There's the commitment to the working income-tax benefit. They increased it to some $580 million. That's important, as well as the increase to the national child benefit supplement. That helps vulnerable women, as does some of the investments in social housing--some $2 billion.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Thank you.

I'd like to give the rest of my time to Madame Boucher, please.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Good morning, gentlemen. Thank you for being here today to talk to us about employment insurance. A number of people have given us contradictory information, and the question is becoming a bit complex.

Some say that 40% of unemployed persons have access to employment insurance, whereas the percentage you've just cited is 82%. Can you give us some details?

[Paul Thompson]

I will ask Louis.

[Louis Beauséjour]

The information comes to us from an annual survey by Statistics Canada. Four times a year, that department asks unemployed workers whether they are receiving benefits and, if not, why they are not receiving them.

Nearly 30% of unemployed persons have not contributed to the employment insurance program. These may be people who haven't worked at all over the previous 12 months or self-employed workers. Then, approximately 16% of people have left their jobs without a valid reason or to resume their education. They have contributed to the program but are automatically disqualified because of their behaviour. Lastly, 10% do not qualify because they have not accumulated enough hours.

Consequently, 82% of people who have contributed to employment insurance are eligible.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

You say that 10% of people leave their jobs for no valid reason or to resume their education. If I decide to leave my job because I no longer feel like working, that's not a valid reason. I have to have a valid reason, whether it's a health problem or whatever, in order to have access to employment insurance.

[Louis Beauséjour]

You would normally be entitled to—