What's New - Human Resources and Skills Development

December 2005

• Effective December 11, 2005, two new Employment Insurance (EI) pilot projects have been implemented. Individuals living in the 23 participating EI economic regions could have access to EI with less insurable hours. For more information… These same individuals could also be able to earn a greater amount while claiming EI without a deduction from their benefits. For more information…

November 2005

• Canada’s Most Important Resource: People.
  For more detailed information, please refer to the "Investing in People" fact sheets:
  

  • Investing in People
  • Investing in Post-Secondary Students
  • Investing in Post-Secondary Education
  • Investing in Canada's Workforce
    

October 2005

• This year we celebrate Canada Career Week (CCW) from October 30 to November 5. Throughout the week, community groups and volunteers across Canada will again be showcasing events that give Canadians the opportunity to focus on their work/life approach.
  
  

• The EI pilot known as the Best 14 Weeks project has now been implemented on October 30, 2005.  This project has particular significance for employers and payroll professionals.
  
  

• Effective October 30, 2005, individuals living in 23 EI economic regions will be able to have their EI benefit rate calculated based on their "best or highest 14 weeks" of insurable earnings in the last 52 weeks. This new way of calculating removes program features which may be discouraging individuals from accepting all available work and will, in some cases, increase benefits for individuals with sporadic work patterns by better reflecting their full-time work patterns. For more information...

• Report of the chief actuary to the Employment Insurance Commission on the Employment Insurance premium rate for 2006
   In accordance with section 65.3 of the Employment insurance Act, the chief actuary shall determine the premium rate for a year that, in the chief actuary's opinion, based on the information provided by the Minister of Finance under section 66.2, taking into account any regulations made under section 69 and any requests made by the Minister in accordance with subsection 65.3(2), should generate just enough premium revenue during that year to cover the payments that will be made under subsection 77(1) during that year.
  
  
• 2006 Maximum Insurable Earnings - Section 4 of the Employment Insurance Act  provides the formula for calculating the maximum insurable earnings for the years 2002 and thereafter. This report presents the results of these calculations for the year 2006.

September 2005

• New Grants and Contributions Program: HRSDC's Labour Branch is now accepting applications for grants and contributions under its International Trade and Labour Program (ITLP). Proposals for labour capacity-building projects in the Americas and for social dialogue projects in Canada will be considered. For eligibility criteria and application information, visit the ITLP website at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/lp/ila/Overview.shtml

August 2005

• Looking Ahead: A Ten-Year Outlook for the Canadian Labour Market, 2004-2013
  This report reviews developments in the Canadian labour market over the 1987-2003 period and presents an outlook of labour demand and supply in Canada by industry, skill level and occupation for the 2004-2013 period.

• My Employment Insurance (EI) Information on-line provides you with the ability to view information about your EI claim, such as:

  • View and update your personal information including your mailing address, telephone number and banking information for direct deposit.
  • View your current EI claim information.
  • View payment information on your current claim including deduction details.
  • View your previous claims for EI benefits.
  • Link to the Internet Reporting Service and Job Bank.

  If you have filed a claim for EI benefits and have received your Access Code, this service is for you.

• My Employment Insurance (EI) Information on-line now available in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic provinces. Watch for this new Internet service to be available in other provinces and territories soon.

July 2005

• New Employment Insurance Internet Service - My EI Information on-line is now available in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. View your current claim information and more on the Internet!

• Youth Link  publication

  If you are between the ages of 15 and 30, looking for tools and information on training, employment and careers, Youth Link is for you.

  Youth Link offers you help in making the transition from school to work, no matter where you are on your career path. This publication provides an array of resources to help you acquire the skills and experience you need to reach your career goals. Inside, you will find information on close to 200 programs, services and resources, such as:

  • Financial assistance
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Job-search tools
  • Career information tools
  • Travel
  • Skills development and learning opportunities
  • Work experience in Canada and abroad
  • Scholarships, bursaries and grants
  
  

June 2005

• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has launched a new service called My Employment Insurance (EI) Information on-line. This new initiative is currently available to Atlantic Canada residents only. Now, you can view your current EI claim information, including payment and deduction details. You can also view and update your mailing address, telephone number and banking information for direct deposit. It is simple, fast, convenient and secure.

• Statistics Canada jointly with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released a report entitled Learning a Living: First Results of the Adult and Life Skills Survey (ALL). The following presentation was prepared to highlight key findings from the report.

  • Presentation
  • The full report is available free of charge from Statistics Canada

May 2005

• Wage Earner Protection Program - The Government of Canada has introduced legislation to create the Wage Earner Protection Program which will help protect workers by providing a guaranteed payment of wages owed up to $3000 should their employer declare bankruptcy. For more information see www.news.gc.ca 

• Theft of computers containing information on some employee benefit plans - If you are concerned that your personal information may have been in files about employee benefit plans contained in computers that were stolen in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 24, 2005, we encourage you to visit the Social Development Canada Web site.

• New Employment Insurance Internet Service - "My EI Information on-line" allows you to view your current and previous EI claim information, including payments and deduction details. You can also update your mailing address, telephone number and direct deposit banking information. It is simple, fast, convenient and secure.

• Government of Canada announces enhancements to Employment Insurance - Approximately 300 million dollars in new measures aimed at enhancing the Employment Insurance (EI) program that will benefit more than 220,000 Canadian workers annually. See Questions and Answers on the enhancements.

• The 2004 Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report focuses on the period April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004. The Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, tabled the report in Parliament on May 13, 2005. The report, prepared by the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, monitors and assesses the impacts of the Employment Insurance system on the economy, communities and individuals.

April 2005

• The 2005-2006 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) is a public planning report, tabled in Parliament on March 24, 2005 by the President of the Treasury Board on behalf of Ministers, which presents information on departmental plans, priorities, expected results and resources. The RPP also provides information on the department and its programs, services and initiatives.

February 2005

Expenditure Review

HRSDC: Efficiency savings and increased debt collection

Savings ($ Millions)

Description

HRSDC will increase collections of debt due to improvements in collection services related to HRSDC programs including Canada Student Loans Programs. This accounts for $6M in 2005/06, rising to $10M a year thereafter.

Based on a review of expenditures, CMHC is proposing to save $6M in 2005/06 and $10M per year thereafter through administration and program efficiencies.

Service Canada Savings and Investments

Service Canada will achieve $3.05B in total savings over 5 years.

• Operational savings of $1.5B will be achieved primarily through the automation and streamlining of processing. The Government is responding to the desire of Canadians to interact on-line. Canadians will have more choice in how they can obtain information and apply for programs and services (e.g. by phone, Internet, in person or in mail service).
  
• Program savings of $1.55B will be achieved through more timely management of vital events, automation to reduce errors, and better risk management practices.
  
• Investment funding of $0.5B over five years will be used to improve service to Canadians and balance and strengthen federal presence.

As a result, $2.55 B in net savings will be achieved.

Figure 1.0: Service Canada Total Savings, Investments and Net Savings

January 2005

• Employment Insurance T4E income tax receipts will be issued by February 28, 2005. If you changed addresses in 2004, it is important that you inform us of your current postal address by January 20, 2005 in order to receive your T4E without delay. Simply call our automated telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and press "0" to speak to a representative. For updates on this subject...

December 2004

• Study: Immigrant source country educational quality and Canadian labour market outcomes 

  Using labour market and demographic information from the 1986, 1991 and 1996 Canadian Censuses, this study examines differences in the return to education of immigrants to Canada as a function of the average quality of educational outcomes in each immigrant’s source country. This study was produced through a partnership between HRSDC and Statistics Canada.

• Social Development Canada (SDC) assists the Government of Ontario 
  
  
• On December 6, the results from the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Jointly, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Statistics Canada, and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada released a report entitled Measuring Up: Canadian results from the OECD PISA study, which presents first findings from the 2003 PISA study.
  
  
• 2005 Maximum Insurable Earnings

  Bill C-2 assented to on May 10, 2001 provides the formula for calculating the maximum insurable earnings for the years 2002 and thereafter. This report presents the results of these calculations for the year 2005.

• Chief Actuary’s Outlook for 2005

  This document provides up-to-date information and forecasts on the EI Account.

November 2004

• An Index of the Employment Opportunities for New Immigrants, Based on Skills Transferability and Occupational Barriers - January 2003

  This study develops a quantitative model to examine the effects of various factors on the potential employment opportunities for new immigrants in different occupations. These factors include the skills transferability to other occupations, barriers that effect entry into each occupation, wages, job prospects and the level of employment in each occupation.

• Aspirations of Canadian Youth for Higher Education

  This paper examines educational aspirations of 15-year-old Canadian students, as well as, key influences on these plans. Data from the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) was used in this research.

• The Impact of Computer Use on Reading Achievement of 15-year-olds

  Using data from the 2000 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS), this report examines in detail the use and access to Information and Communication Technologies and its impact on reading skills of 15-year-old Canadians.

• The 2003-2004 Departmental Performance Report (DPR) for HRSDC was tabled in Parliament by the President of the Treasury Board on October 28, 2004. The DPR outlines the performance of HRSDC in 2003-2004.

October 2004

• Study: Postsecondary Field of Study and the Canadian Labour Market Outcomes of Immigrants and Non-Immigrants

  Using 1996 Census data, this study examines the economic implications of field of study, exploring the issue for two subgroups of immigrants depending upon whether their education was obtained in Canada or elsewhere, and separately for those with college, bachelor's and master's degrees. This study was produced through a partnership between HRSDC and Statistics Canada.

• Canada Career Week 2004

  This year, we celebrate Canada Career Week (CCW) from October 31 to November 6. The theme for Canada Career Week is Make Career Connections - Team Up! To find out more about the events that are taking place across Canada during the week, visit the online Events Calendar at the Canada Career Week web site: www.canadacareerweek.com.

• Report on Plans and Priorities

  The Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) is an expenditure plan for HRSDC, tabled in Parliament by the President of the Treasury Board on behalf of Ministers. The RPP provides information on the department and its programs.

• Reading achievement in Canada and the United States: Findings from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment

  This report takes a close look at the reading performance of 15-year olds from Canada and the United States. Using data from the 2000 Programme for International Student Assessment, the report compares the reading skills of the two groups of students in light of their socioeconomic and school information, as well as types of policy practice.

September 2004

July 2004

June 2004

April 2004

March 2004

New EI Compassionate Care Benefit Starting January 4, 2004, Compassionate Care Benefits will be available to EI-eligible people who need to be away from work temporarily to provide care or support to a family member who is seriously ill with a significant risk of death.