Food Banks Canada Says EI Fails More Part-Time Workers as Unemployment Stays Elevated
Updated
Updated · CHAT News Today · Jun 1
Food Banks Canada Says EI Fails More Part-Time Workers as Unemployment Stays Elevated
4 articles · Updated · CHAT News Today · Jun 1
Food Banks Canada said its latest poverty report card found employment insurance no longer fits a labour market increasingly built around part-time, temporary and contract work.
EI eligibility sits at the center of the problem, the group said, because workers must log a set number of insurable hours within a fixed period to qualify.
Kirstin Beardsley, the charity’s chief executive, called the outdated system a major threat to Canada’s resilience as elevated unemployment and high living costs strain households.
The report argues EI now mainly serves a shrinking group of workers with stable, full-time jobs for a single employer, leaving more of the modern workforce exposed.
As food bank use soars, is Canada's broken EI system fueling a national hunger crisis?
Is Canada's safety net ready for the AI-driven job market of tomorrow?
Why does EI exclude millions of gig workers as the 9-to-5 job disappears?