Employment insurance

Evaluation of Indigenous Labour Market Programming

There is a lack of empirical evidence for how well the labour market needs of all Indigenous people are being met by the current suite of programming supported by Labour Market Development Agreements and the Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training Strategy. The core objective of this program of research is to provide a pan-Canadian picture of the use of employment services and programs by Indigenous people and their associated outcomes. The work includes: identifying barriers to program participation; charting the persistence of effects; assessing the consequences of changes in policy priorities and programming options; and analysing how well served groups are by the current mix of employment and skill development services. Grounded in sound statistical and econometric principles, and an understanding of the unique nature of research that is conducted for Indigenous peoples, this study sets out to provide actionable knowledge of interest to program designers and planners; program managers; service delivery organizations and front-line workers; and to Indigenous workforce and community development organizations.

Start-end date: October 2018 - March 2023
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Developing Provincial/Territorial Capacity for Innovation in Employment and Training Services

Following a Fall 2016 Best Practices session convened for the Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM), SRDC is meeting with provincial and territorial labour market officials to share knowledge about labour market programming. The meetings, which include presentations highlighting innovation in the design and delivery of programs, aim to identify opportunities to promote innovation through learning exchange and collaboration among jurisdictions.

Start-end date: April 2017 - March 2018
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Forum of Labour Market Ministers' Senior Officials – Best Practices Session

SRDC was responsible for organizing a half-day session to share innovative approaches, lessons learned, and research and evaluation on labour market programs and service delivery strategies. It featured presentations from a number of jurisdictions on recent projects and initiatives to identify best practices, improve program effectiveness, and foster innovation. SRDC staff presented on three SRDC projects in this area, teaming up with provincial Senior Officials who provided context on how the projects respond to their respective program and policy objectives. SRDC was also responsible for producing an Event Report summarizing the discussion.

Start-end date: September 2016 - September 2016
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

CPP Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurer Pilot Project

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) tested improvements to the application process and information sharing for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Long-Term Disability (LTD) program. SRDC was engaged to provide technical support with the design, implementation, and evaluation of these pilot programs. The support included methodological guidance in the use of random assignment, the development of evaluation frameworks, and assistance with the implementation, process research, and monitoring of program and research integrity.

Start-end date: February 2016 - June 2016
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Group-based Employment Assistance Benefits

A research study that examines the growing trend of group-based approaches to employment programming in Canada and abroad. The study includes a literature review on the theoretical principles of this approach, a summary of domestic and international evidence on its barriers, challenges, and effectiveness, and a brief description of 8-10 Canadian and international examples of effective group-based employment programs.

Start-end date: February 2011 - May 2011
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Expert Opinion on Work-sharing Program

This project provided expert opinion and recommendations on ways to ensure the right balance is achieved in Canada’s Work-Sharing Program (WSP) between the policy objectives of averting temporary layoffs, ensuring the well-functioning of the labour market, and containing costs to the EI Account.

Start-end date: October 2010 - November 2010
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Literature Review for the Evaluation of the Work-sharing Initiative

A literature review of the most relevant and recent Canadian and international research and evaluation studies examining issues relating to short-time compensation work-sharing arrangements and the economic and social issues relating to cyclical downturns.

Start-end date: January 2010 - June 2010
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Strategic Evaluation

Summative Evaluation of the 2005 Employment Insurance Pilot Projects

Evaluation of the three employment insurance (EI) pilot projects implemented in 2005 in selected regions across Canada to assess whether or not the pilot projects truly altered targeted EI recipients’ work patterns in such a way as to increase their work effort.

Start-end date: September 2009 - March 2010
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Strategic Evaluation

Design of a Pilot Project to Assess the Impacts of Flexible Benefits for First Time and Occasional EI Claimants

A design for a demonstration project using random assignment to measure the impacts of introducing flexibility in the delivery EI benefits.

Start-end date: February 2009 - October 2009
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, EI Policy Branch

Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology

Provided expert advice on the role the employment insurance program plays in supporting Canadians’ income security.

Start-end date: May 2008 - May 2008
Sponsor: Subcommittee on Cities of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology

Improving the EI Program Through Experimentation

A study assessing the feasibility of using random assignment designs to explore options to improve labour market outcomes of workers through changes in provisions and rules of the employment insurance program.

Start-end date: February 2007 - April 2007
Sponsor: Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Personal Re-employment Accounts

A study exploring the use of personal accounts for re-employment, unemployment insurance, human capital development, and other purposes. A workshop and presentations of policymakers and experts assessed the alternatives.

Start-end date: June 2006 - March 2007
Sponsor: Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Experience Rating Employment Insurance in Canada: A Literature Review

Start-end date: January 2004 - April 2004
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Comportements et attitudes des prestataires québécois de l’assurance-emploi

A study of behaviour and attitudes of Employment Insurance recipients in Quebec using data from SRDC Survey of the Repeat Use of Employment Insurance (SRUEI).

Start-end date: December 2001 - March 2002
Sponsor: Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale du Québec

Expert advice and design options for at-risk youth and for frequent users of Employment Insurance

Start-end date: September 2001 - October 2001
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada

Earnings Supplement Project, Phase III

A three-year program of research on patterns of work and reliance on Employment Insurance (EI) that brings together a wide range of data, including the linkage of surveys and administrative databases. The objective of this research is to better understand the barriers that certain workers face in trying to obtain secure year-round employment as a basis for formulating appropriate policy responses.

Start-end date: March 2001 - March 2004
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada

Earnings Supplement Project, Phase II

A program of research to develop and conduct the Survey of the Repeat Use of Employment Insurance (SRUEI), a nationally representative survey (administered in the field by Statistics Canada) of frequent beneficiaries of Employment Insurance, and to produce a set of research studies based on data derived from the survey.

Start-end date: March 1999 - March 2001
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch

Community Employment Innovation Project

The evaluation of a multi-year demonstration project that tested the impact on individuals and their communities of an alternative form of income transfer for the unemployed with the aim to increase their employment prospects while simultaneously strengthening the capacity of local communities.

Start-end date: January 1999 - March 2008
Sponsor: Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Nova Scotia Department of Community Services

Earnings Supplement Project

A randomized experiment that involved more than 11,000 employment insurance recipients (either repeat EI users or displaced workers) in nine communities that tested the use of financial incentives in the form of temporary “earnings insurance” as a way of hastening re-employment.

Start-end date: July 1996 - March 2004
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch