The COVID-19 pandemic, which swept across the globe in the early months of 2020, has rapidly accelerated long-standing trends in labour markets and economies around the world. Income inequality, precarious work and the digitisation of the economy are now issues that policymakers must grapple with immediately, or risk economic ruin and social upheaval.

This report argues that gaps in Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) program are already leaving too many workers behind as gig work, part-time jobs and self-employment grow. EI needs to be modernized now to support Canadians as they transition to an economy and labour market disrupted by technology and automation.

This paper argues that, in the face of rapid labour market changes, Canada should consider introducing a portable benefits sytem.