Mr. Speaker, the increase in EI claims reflects the impact of a downturn in the economy that is being felt in some parts of the country and in the economy itself. In addition, recent work stoppages have greatly affected productivity. This has limited the number of workload reduction options, that is, overtime, and has added to the backlogs in many offices around the country.
We are working to reduce this backlog to provide the level of service that Canadians have come to expect. Our goal is to maintain service levels to 28 days for new claims.