People in low-unemployment areas must work longer
OTTAWA — Employment insurance rules that match payments to regional unemployment levels came into effect Monday.
The system was introduced in some parts of the country as the “Best 14 Weeks” pilot project in 2005, and it was renewed in 2008. It will now be the standard everywhere.
The system means workers in relatively low-unemployment areas like Halifax will have to work longer to receive full EI benefits than people in high-unemployment areas such as Cape Breton.
EI recipients can earn up to 55 per cent of their previous salary. Their benefits are calculated based on their “best,” or highest-earning, weeks of employment over the past year.
The catch is that the number of weeks recipients are judged on varies by region.
Nova Scotia is broken into three regions. Western Nova Scotia — which starts at Lunenburg County, stretches across southwest Nova Scotia and then up through Hants, Cumberland, Colchester and Pictou counties — qualifies for the absolute minimum bar because of its high unemployment rate.
Workers there will need to have worked 14 weeks over the previous year to qualify for full EI benefits.
At the other end of the spectrum, Halifax Regional Municipality’s low unemployment rate puts it in the top bracket. Workers there will have to work 22 weeks for the maximum EI payment.
Eastern Nova Scotia, which includes all of Cape Breton, as well as Antigonish and Guysborough counties, falls in the middle. Workers will need 18 weeks of employment to hit full EI benefits.
According to Statistics Canada, Halifax’s unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent in 2012, far better than other parts of the province.
Cape Breton was worse off, with a 14.5 per cent unemployment rate. However, its EI calculations get grouped in with better labour markets.
Colchester, Cumberland, Pictou, Guysborough and Antigonish counties, known as the North Shore Economic Region, had unemployment of 10.9 per cent last year.
The Annapolis Valley had unemployment of 8.9 per cent, while southern Nova Scotia had unemployment of 12.2 per cent in 2012.
Original Article
Source: thechronicleherald.ca
Author: PAUL McLEOD
OTTAWA — Employment insurance rules that match payments to regional unemployment levels came into effect Monday.
The system was introduced in some parts of the country as the “Best 14 Weeks” pilot project in 2005, and it was renewed in 2008. It will now be the standard everywhere.
The system means workers in relatively low-unemployment areas like Halifax will have to work longer to receive full EI benefits than people in high-unemployment areas such as Cape Breton.
EI recipients can earn up to 55 per cent of their previous salary. Their benefits are calculated based on their “best,” or highest-earning, weeks of employment over the past year.
The catch is that the number of weeks recipients are judged on varies by region.
Nova Scotia is broken into three regions. Western Nova Scotia — which starts at Lunenburg County, stretches across southwest Nova Scotia and then up through Hants, Cumberland, Colchester and Pictou counties — qualifies for the absolute minimum bar because of its high unemployment rate.
Workers there will need to have worked 14 weeks over the previous year to qualify for full EI benefits.
At the other end of the spectrum, Halifax Regional Municipality’s low unemployment rate puts it in the top bracket. Workers there will have to work 22 weeks for the maximum EI payment.
Eastern Nova Scotia, which includes all of Cape Breton, as well as Antigonish and Guysborough counties, falls in the middle. Workers will need 18 weeks of employment to hit full EI benefits.
According to Statistics Canada, Halifax’s unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent in 2012, far better than other parts of the province.
Cape Breton was worse off, with a 14.5 per cent unemployment rate. However, its EI calculations get grouped in with better labour markets.
Colchester, Cumberland, Pictou, Guysborough and Antigonish counties, known as the North Shore Economic Region, had unemployment of 10.9 per cent last year.
The Annapolis Valley had unemployment of 8.9 per cent, while southern Nova Scotia had unemployment of 12.2 per cent in 2012.
Original Article
Source: thechronicleherald.ca
Author: PAUL McLEOD
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