Human Resources And Development Canada: Service Canada

Employment Insurance Dept: Over the next three years, Human Resources and Development Canada plans to cut the number of offices that process EI claims from 120 nationwide down to about 20, according to CBC. The government argues that an ongoing process of automation will eliminate the need for so many workers in so many locations. That's despite a current months-long backlog of more than 80,000 claims that have waited longer than the four-week limit, part of which has been blamed on flawed automation and as the battle gets even tougher for out-of-work Canadians trying to get Employment Insurance, there are new accusations that planned closures of Service Canada processing centres will benefit Conservative ridings, while harming opposition ridings, especially in Atlantic Canada. Of the 20 processing centres left, more than half will be in Conservative ridings and only one will be in a Liberal riding. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.