Unemployed need to rethink options

[grammafreddy]

http://www.castanet.net/news/Business/7 ... nk-options

Unemployed need to rethink options
by The Canadian Press - Story: 75204
May 14, 2012 / 3:00 pm


Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty holds a press conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, May 14, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says there's no such thing as a bad job, and the unemployed need to rethink the type of work they consider too demeaning.

And Flaherty says Canada has to increase the labour pool by encouraging more handicapped, seniors and aboriginal people to work.

The minister made the comments in response to concerns that coming EI changes would eliminate benefits to unemployed who refuse to relocate or take jobs outside their field of training.

Flaherty says Canada will face severe labour shortages, and the government intends to reduce disincentives to work in the current EI system.

The specifics on the changes are to be unveiled by the human resources minister, but Flaherty's remarks suggest they may be profound.

Flaherty says he once had to take a job as a taxi driver and hockey referee, adding that the only bad job is no job.

Isn't it EI that has such a huge surplus of funds in their kitty?

It will be interesting to see what kind of jobs they expect the handicapped and seniors to take. Cripes - those three "classes" of people are the ones who are most likely to be refused a job when they submit a resume for an open and/or advertised position. Of course, the employer never says so directly, but no matter how qualified you are, you never get as far as an interview.

[rutland1]

What a *bleep* that Flaherty man is.

[GordonH]

I getting a feeling that Mr. Flaherty will be needing to issue an apology for these comments, once he opens his emails in next few days.

[fvkasm2x]

I getting a feeling that Mr. Flaherty will be needing to issue an apology for these comments, once he opens his emails in next few days.

Yep. Which I think is sad, because he is right.

I know a guy who has been on EI for over a year now because he can't find a job that pays as well as the one he was laid off from. Boo hoo. Suck it up princess. There have been a few guys on Castanet who have said the same thing as well.

There is rarely a good reason for a person to remain unemployed for long...

[motorhomebabe]

So,Whats next? Does this mean that I will have to run around getting Employers to sign a paper saying they will not hire me in order to collect my old age pension? Still have a couple of years to go, but just wondering.

[Captain Awesome]

So,Whats next? Does this mean that I will have to run around getting Employers to sign a paper saying they will not hire me in order to collect my old age pension?

[Queen K]

The handicapped, seniors and aboriginals? All lumped in together? :coffeecanuck:

Sorry, but I just can't believe it. No, I can, it's just unreal how the fat govt. pension he's getting when retired himself has gone to his head.

Sorry, but I did know someone who had to get off disability and use her social work degree. Fair enough. She relocated, got the part time social work job and promptly could not pay her rent. She was the new working poor in a small town at their food bank.

[Corneliousrooster]

I know a guy who has been on EI for over a year now because he can't find a job that pays as well as the one he was laid off from. Boo hoo. Suck it up princess

I call BS on your statement. Its exaggerations like this that are not helping those who need EI. http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/ei/t ... html#long1 Please show me where ANYONE can collect for over a year......

YOu can get 55% of your earnings. If your rent and family expenses are based on 100% of your earnings and the "offered job" pays you an amount that equals less than the 55% you would receive, how do you expect that family to continue to function? (Even at 55% its a stretch, and an incentive in itself to find adequate employment).

Perhaps you should walk in "the guy you knows" shoes before you judge his motivations....... and then use your example to generalize everyone on EI.

[BoB76]

I know I'd be hard pressed to hire an aboriginal, handicap, or a senior when there are capable other people out there willing to work. Why hire trouble?

[Oxl3y]

Yep. Which I think is sad, because he is right.

I know a guy who has been on EI for over a year now because he can't find a job that pays as well as the one he was laid off from. Boo hoo. Suck it up princess. There have been a few guys on Castanet who have said the same thing as well.

There is rarely a good reason for a person to remain unemployed for long...

So you work for years paying into EI and then find yourself laid off. Why should just take some crappy job for the sake of having a job? As long as he has premiums to collect he should do it, absolutely no sense in taking an unnecessary pay cut.

Now if he was sitting on welfare and not accepting jobs that would be another issue.

[mexicalidreamer]

I can't imagine being told to relocate to an area where there was a better chance of employment. In a marriage, what are you supposed to do? Tell your wife/husband to quit their job so you can get one?

[fvkasm2x]

So you work for years paying into EI and then find yourself laid off. Why should just take some crappy job for the sake of having a job? As long as he has premiums to collect he should do it, absolutely no sense in taking an unnecessary pay cut.

Because I have pride and would rather work a crappy job than sponge off the system. That's just me though.

Would I take EI if I couldnt' find a job? Sure. Would I stay on EI rather than take a crappy job? Nope.

I call BS on your statement. Its exaggerations like this that are not helping those who need EI.

Perhaps you should walk in "the guy you knows" shoes before you judge his motivations....... and then use your example to generalize everyone on EI.

Call BS all you want. He works for 2 months in a "seasonal" job and then gets laid off. He goes on EI for the rest of the year and gets hired again when the "season" starts up again. He's said to my face that "he's got a free ride." He's a lazy *bleep* and I wouldn't want to ever be in his shoes. It's behavior like this that aren't helping those that truly need EI.

[rutland1]

He is not a lazy guy if he works 595 hrs in two months, cause that is how many hrs you need to qualify for EI. Then you still only get about 38 weeks.

[Bagotricks]

Because I have pride and would rather work a crappy job than sponge off the system. That's just me though.

Off the system? Huh?

If your house burnt down, would you refuse insurance money lest you be a "system leecher"?

Aside from all this - can we say RACE TO THE BOTTOM any much more this year?

This is the recipe for a strong economy? Get everyone used to taking in in the rear and normalize 50% wage cuts and throw a touch of self-esteem defeating sentiments in there? You've got two degree's and years of experience? That means nothing, here's a broom.

If you work outside of the field you're trained it, it makes a prospective employer think you're no good at your usual work. Just try explaining that you're normally an electrician, but you've been working delivering for UPS for a year or that you're a science teacher, but you've been supervising an after school program instead. Once you're out of your field for any length of time, it's hard to get back into it.

It's a way to deskill our workforce just when the government is looking at importing skilled immigrants who will, presumably, work for less. Just look at the 130 workers that lost their jobs looking after the elderly. It's creating a crisis to lower wage and benefit expectations.

Most importantly, it will improved the government's unemployment figures because, if you're not claiming EI, you disappear out of the stats.

[rutland1]

The more people the govt. can have applying for jobs the lower the wages go. Even if its handicapped or seniors applying it still lowers wages. Corporate Canada loves this.