There are no bad jobs, says Flaherty

[zuluking]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Well we can only go by what he said. If you have any additional information that leads you to believe he misspoke, feel free to share it and clear up the misunderstanding.

And "the opposition took that ball and ran?" I haven't seen any opposition posting here, just people wondering what he means and relaying the fact that yes, there are some pretty crappy jobs. Myself, I sold vacuum cleaners door to door, manually collated coupons for a coupon book, and worked for a dead stock removal company. There are some really (REALLY) bad jobs.

I agree that you shouldn't jump to conclusions, but to make a statement like that and then not explain how they are looking at implementing such a policy is just asking for doomsayers to fill in the missing information.

If you read the article, you would know that there were more comments than just the headline comment as well as that the opposition did jump all over this and twist into meaning all sorts of nefarious things.

I can't help but think about the MD from Egypt that immigrated here and after three years is still working the night shift at Wendy's waiting for the bureaucratic processes at both provincial and federal levels to allow him to resume practicing. He thinks it is unfortunate and frustrating, but if you hit this particular Wendy's late at night, the doctor is in. I was thinking of having a consult via the drive-thru speaker.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Azure

I know that certain kids might be interested in the arts, but I find it a bit strange that someone would major in it, when getting an engineering or comparable degree is pretty much a guarantee to land you a job in Alberta.

Maybe some people don't want to be engineers? I know a few people who absolutely hate their jobs but were railroaded into their career path because their parents forced them to take a particular university program. This tends to be especially common amongst Asian students.

There's nothing wrong with taking an Arts degree. There are many transferrable skills you acquire from a liberal arts program, such as writing, research, analytical reading, critical thinking, etc. As a manager working in the IT field who frequently hires for entry-level positions, I'd rather choose a candidate with a BA and a basic certification or two (A+, MCP, CCENT/CCNA, etc.) over someone who did a 2-year technical program at SAIT or DeVry.

My wife completed a "useless" BA and majored in Religious Studies; I completed a BSc and majored in Computer Science. Guess which one of us makes more money today?

[GP_Matt]

The article also mentions taking a job away from home. I wonder how much they will push that. Can you collect EI in New Brunswick if there is a job that you qualify for in B.C.?

[Ozy_Flame]

Absolutely nothing wrong with "useless" degrees as some are describing them. I work for an IT Consulting company, and half the directors have their degrees in Fine Arts, Greek and Roman Studies, or Philosophy. They simply applied themselves after graduating.

Not everyone needs to become an engineer or get a technical education just to land a job in Alberta, especially one they enjoy. I saw a job for pipe fitting today - should I have ditched my Masters degree and two bachelors just because this job is available? Hell no.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

The article also mentions taking a job away from home. I wonder how much they will push that. Can you collect EI in New Brunswick if there is a job that you qualify for in B.C.?

I'm not sure about EI implications, but I can speak to this scenario from experience.

After I graduated from university, I wanted to move from New Brunswick to Calgary. I checked the online job postings for Calgary-based positions every day. I sent my CV and cover letter to dozens of companies who had an open entry-level position for which I was qualified. I specifically mentioned that I would personally cover all moving expenses and did not expect a relocation allowance from any company that hired me. I didn't get a single response.

After about a month of fruitless remote job-searching, my father decided to buy me a 1-way plane ticket to Calgary and loan me $5,000 to get started. Once I was settled here and had a local address and phone number, I started getting interviews and had a job within a few weeks.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by crazy_eoj

a 4 year degree doesn't guarantee a job within that field.

That's especially true in certain programs.

Hence, get a real job. Or take a real program. But holding out for a dream job with your masters in comparitve literature is ridiculous.

Of course not, but to expect someone with a Master's level education who has been laid off from work to get a grunt labour position rather than collect EI while they look for suitable work is a bit absurd.

I don't know about you, but when I worked landscaping or hacking apart dead cows, the work schedule didn't really allow for me to check new job postings, drop off resumes or go to interviews. It's good that whatever crappy jobs you have done in your life would have allowed you that chance though.

I pay into EI and have never collected it (my wife got mat leave of course). If I get laid off, I promise you I won't be going back to working in a slaughterhouse before I have examined every opportunity to work in my field where my degree, training and experience all apply, even if it means living off EI for a couple months.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I'm not sure about EI implications, but I can speak to this scenario from experience.

After I graduated from university, I wanted to move from New Brunswick to Calgary. I checked the online job postings for Calgary-based positions every day. I sent my CV and cover letter to dozens of companies who had an open entry-level position for which I was qualified. I specifically mentioned that I would personally cover all moving expenses and did not expect a relocation allowance from any company that hired me. I didn't get a single response.

After about a month of fruitless remote job-searching, my father decided to buy me a 1-way plane ticket to Calgary and loan me $5,000 to get started. Once I was settled here and had a local address and phone number, I started getting interviews and had a job within a few weeks.

That was probably a great move. We have hired some people over the phone before and more often not it has worked out poorly. Ontario has some kind of a program where they will pay moving costs for unemployed people to move to Alberta if they line up a job in advance. The people that we have seen come through this were just looking for a bus ticket and two weeks pay.
Typically now, if we are interested in hiring someone from across the country we will go to them for an interview or we will fly them in for one, both of which are costly so it is easier to just hire locally if at all possible.

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Of course not, but to expect someone with a Master's level education who has been laid off from work to get a grunt labour position rather than collect EI while they look for suitable work is a bit absurd.

I don't know about you, but when I worked landscaping or hacking apart dead cows, the work schedule didn't really allow for me to check new job postings, drop off resumes or go to interviews. It's good that whatever crappy jobs you have done in your life would have allowed you that chance though.

I pay into EI and have never collected it (my wife got mat leave of course). If I get laid off, I promise you I won't be going back to working in a slaughterhouse before I have examined every opportunity to work in my field where my degree, training and experience all apply, even if it means living off EI for a couple months.

Yes, and of course you are describing exactly why EI was first implemented.

But it doesn't change the fact there is a problem when someone feels they are chronically 'overeducated' and remain unemloyed for long periods collecting EI instead of joining the workforce.

When we have clear labour shortages in high paying low skill jobs, pretending people have to sign up to work as Concentration Camp Guards doesn't make any sense.

[MarchHare]

But it doesn't change the fact there is a problem when someone feels they are chronically 'overeducated' and remain unemloyed for long periods collecting EI instead of joining the workforce.

Isn't there a limit on how long you can collect EI payments? Nobody is voluntarily choosing to remain unemployed so they can live off EI indefinitely.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Absolutely nothing wrong with "useless" degrees as some are describing them. I work for an IT Consulting company, and half the directors have their degrees in Fine Arts, Greek and Roman Studies, or Philosophy. They simply applied themselves after graduating.

Not everyone needs to become an engineer or get a technical education just to land a job in Alberta, especially one they enjoy. I saw a job for pipe fitting today - should I have ditched my Masters degree and two bachelors just because this job is available? Hell no.

You couldn't get a job as a pipefitter without a ticket anyhow.

[WCan_Kid]

Finishing university did mean a "good" job was guaranteed, when only 9-10% of the population had a degree of any sort. Now, with 3-4 times as many university grads out there, it doesn't really mean much more than a HS diploma did 50 years ago.

If 2000 people finish with the same degree and there are only 100 jobs related to it available, some of them are just going have to realize that they're now just really smart roughnecks.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

You couldn't get a job as a pipefitter without a ticket anyhow.

Nothing gets by you!

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Isn't there a limit on how long you can collect EI payments? Nobody is voluntarily choosing to remain unemployed so they can live off EI indefinitely.

It varies by region of the country, I guess there's areas of Canada where the maximum amount of time you can collect EI is 45 weeks... Yes just 7 weeks short of an entire year. This is where people get steamed about the seasonal workers who do 8-12 weeks (2-3 months) and collect IE the rest of the year.

[Hilch]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Of course not, but to expect someone with a Master's level education who has been laid off from work to get a grunt labour position rather than collect EI while they look for suitable work is a bit absurd.

I don't know about you, but when I worked landscaping or hacking apart dead cows, the work schedule didn't really allow for me to check new job postings, drop off resumes or go to interviews. It's good that whatever crappy jobs you have done in your life would have allowed you that chance though.

I pay into EI and have never collected it (my wife got mat leave of course). If I get laid off, I promise you I won't be going back to working in a slaughterhouse before I have examined every opportunity to work in my field where my degree, training and experience all apply, even if it means living off EI for a couple months.

With your situations above it's exactly what EI was all about but now people abuse the program because they can and the government doesn't do anything about it. I was once laid off for 8 months and I didn't get one letter or phone call from EI asking about jobs I have applied for or what type of work I was looking for. I never even opened the paper to see what jobs were out there and was fully willing to live off EI while I enjoyed my spring/summer.

IMO the government is what created the laziness most see on EI. I don't understand why the government doesn't set up a site like Monster.com where employers can be matched with potential employees that aren't currently working. But instead they just trust that this person is going to be looking for work while being paid not to work, good luck with that.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Hilch

IMO the government is what created the laziness most see on EI. I don't understand why the government doesn't set up a site like Monster.com where employers can be matched with potential employees that aren't currently working. But instead they just trust that this person is going to be looking for work while being paid not to work, good luck with that.

That exists already

https://employers.jobbank.gc.ca/comm...eng.aspx?P10=E

You are correct though. The government asks "Are you actively looking for work?" and then expects the person to answer honestly. EI should work the same as regular insurance does IMO. Those who make yearly/"seasonal" claims should have their premiums go up once they return to work.

[GP_Matt]

EI has direct deposit now, so you can work your seasonal job in the summer and then spend the winter backpacking through South America or Asia and live quite well on the EI cheques.

I have heard that the fishing boats can be pretty bad. Some of them are able to get their spouses on the payroll to split their wages with them and pay less tax and then they can both claim EI for the rest of the year.

[MarchHare]

EI has direct deposit now, so you can work your seasonal job in the summer and then spend the winter backpacking through South America or Asia and live quite well on the EI cheques.

I'm pretty sure you have to stay in the area in which you're looking for a job to qualify for EI. You'd be committing fraud if you claimed EI while backpacking in South America.

Edit:

Am I allowed to leave Canada while receiving regular benefits?

Usually, you are not eligible to receive regular benefits while you are away from Canada. However, you can receive regular benefits if you show that you are available for work in Canada while abroad and you inform your local Service Canada Centre that you will be away temporarily.

You can be outside Canada for a period of seven consecutive days for the purpose of:

• attending the funeral of a member of your immediate family or a close relative;
• accompanying a member of your immediate family to a medical facility, provided that the treatment sought is not readily available in the family member's area of residence in Canada;
• visiting a member of your immediate family who is seriously ill or injured; or
• attending a bona fide job interview.

You can be away from Canada for a period of 14 consecutive days for the purpose of conducting a bona fide job search.

If you indicate that you have taken measures to be reached if an employment opportunity presents itself during your absence and that you are able to return to Canada within 48 hours, we will accept that you have proven your availability.

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/e...ar.shtml#while

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

It varies by region of the country, I guess there's areas of Canada where the maximum amount of time you can collect EI is 45 weeks... Yes just 7 weeks short of an entire year. This is where people get steamed about the seasonal workers who do 8-12 weeks (2-3 months) and collect IE the rest of the year.

Is actually amazing how short of a period you can work and still collect EI. Its 10.5 weeks at 40 hours per week if the unemployment rate is 13.1% or higher or 17.5 weeks if it is 6% or lower - according to this site. The fact that you can get up to 45 weeks of benefits if the UI rate is 13.1% or higher is crazy.

Edit: As pointed out below, the 45 weeks of benefits occur after 1330 hours worked, or over 33 weeks of full time work, so that's not nearly so bad.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Is actually amazing how short of a period you can work and still collect EI. Its 10.5 weeks at 40 hours per week if the unemployment rate is 13.1% or higher or 17.5 weeks if it is 6% or lower - according to this site. The fact that you can get up to 45 weeks of benefits if the UI rate is 13.1% or higher is crazy.

It really is mind boggle eh? Maternity leave aside I'd like to see it capped at 6 months. Yes a job search may very well take you longer than 6 months, but at a certain point you should be funding your "dream job" search on your own dime.

But I also come from the "keep 6 months living expenses saved" club & last time I was unemployed I applied for a business & GST number from the CRA. If I were to lose my job tomorrow I'd be more likely to russel up freelance work than apply for IE... but I know that's not a realistic scenario for everyone.

But still, 45 weeks goes beyond the "transitional" period and becomes a dependant thing.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

It varies by region of the country, I guess there's areas of Canada where the maximum amount of time you can collect EI is 45 weeks... Yes just 7 weeks short of an entire year. This is where people get steamed about the seasonal workers who do 8-12 weeks (2-3 months) and collect IE the rest of the year.

This is also false. To qualify for 45 weeks of EI benefits, the minimum amount of work you have to perform is 1330 hours (33.25 weeks assuming a 40 hour work week), and that's only if your region of residence has 16% unemployment or greater. If you live in an area where the unemployment rate is equal to the national average (currently 7.3%), the maximum benefit you can receive is 40 weeks, and that's only if you previously worked for 1820 hours (45.5 weeks).

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/e...ar.shtml#long1