In 2010, our Economic Action Plan renewed the Extra Five Weeks Pilot Project by an additional two years.
This measure was always slated to end in 2012. It was meant to help employment insurance (EI) recipients during the recession.
Pilot projects are always temporary in nature as they are introduced from time to time to test a specific approach. Several of the EI regions included in this pilot, including St. John’s, ended this pilot early because their unemployment rates recovered significantly.
Since the worst of the recession, we have seen over 820,000 net new jobs created. To ensure that this recovery continues, our programs and policies must respond to the needs of the changing economic climate.
Our government remains focused on jobs, growth and long-term prosperity, which is why we introduced improvements to EI to ensure that it remains fair, flexible and supports Canadians who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
We are helping Canadians to be more aware of the job opportunities that may exist in their local area and increasing the support that we offer to get them back to work faster.
For those who are unable to find employment, EI will continue to be there for them as it always has been.
Canadians want to get back to work, and our ultimate goal is to ensure that they are always better off working than not.
By having responsive programs that connect Canadians to available jobs, we are laying the groundwork for economic growth and future prosperity.
Diane Finley
Minister of Human Resources
and Skills Development
Ottawa
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