The average disqualifications from employment insurance fell from 86,000 to 44,000 after the federal government implemented improved qualification criteria in September 2020 to address rising unemployment caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report from Statistics Canada. In response, Unifor is calling on the renewal of the government’s pandemic EI measures. “The report […]
The federal minister in charge of aid to the unemployed says jobless Canadians who refuse to get vaccinated may find themselves blocked from benefits so long as public health concerns remain top of mind. The Liberals have tacked conditions onto a suite of benefits payments saying none can go to workers who lose work or […]
The Senate gave quick approval Thursday to a new round of coronavirus pandemic aid after federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland made a pre-holiday plea to rubber-stamp the help and promised that benefits would flow quickly to employers and employees in need. Bill C-2 would provide targeted aid to businesses that are ordered closed and to […]
A story on the federal government’s economic and fiscal update took the top spot over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Federal government extending pandemic aid for employers, employees 2. Ontario recommending introduction of new portable benefits program 3. Toronto’s Juno College planning to move to 100% employee-ownership […]
The federal government is extending several coronavirus pandemic aid measures as the pandemic rages on. During the economic and fiscal update on Tuesday, the government announced it’s extending the simplified rules for deducting home office expenses and increasing the temporary flat rate from $400 to $500 annually. In 2020, the government set out a temporary flat-rate […]
The federal government is outlining its latest aid package for an economy recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, proposing targeted support to severely affected businesses, locked-down workers and extra weeks of benefits that expired just days ago. The legislation, introduced Wednesday in the House of Commons, is one of four bills the government wants members of […]
The federal government has unveiled a $7-billion redesign of pandemic aid for businesses and individuals that kicks in Sunday, which would cut support to almost 900,000 workers and potentially put thousands of jobs at risk in the near-term. The Liberals have long said the federal wage and rent subsidies, along with benefits like the Canada […]
In its 2021 budget on Monday, the federal government said it’s proposing nearly $30 billion over the next five years towards a national community-based childcare system. The budget stated that starting in 2021/2022, an investment of up to $27.2 billion over five years will bring the federal government to a 50/50 share of childcare costs […]
Jagmeet Singh is promising a federal New Democratic Party government would provide more support for small businesses struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, including paying bonuses to companies that hire new employees or bring back those who have been laid off. Singh unveiled the promises during a campaign-style event in British Columbia earlier this week, less […]
Among the myriad fiscal responses to the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps none has received more attention in the U.S. than the federal programs for small businesses. There’s good reason. Small businesses serve as a critical source of economic growth and job creation, accounting for nearly half of national employment and 43.5 per cent of the nation’s […]