FOCUS GROUPS FOR EVALUATION STUDY ON GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY - Synthesis Report - Solicitation # 9134-11-0009 Prepared for: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada January 2012 460 Brant St., 3° Floor, Burlington, ON L7R 4B6 905-577-4040 000001 wwww.sageresearch.caTABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .. DETAILED FINDINGS: Evaluation Question 1: What factors influence geographic labour mobility, that is, the decision to accept a job that requires a residential move (temporary or permanent) within the country? .. Evaluation Question 2: To what extent do El eli generosity affect geographic labour mobility? Evaluation Question 3: What type of migration incentives could encourage El clients to accept a job that requires a residential move?. Evaluation Question 4: Does migration lead to an improvement in the economic and social situation of migrants and their families: APPENDIX: Profile of Recruits Screening Questionnaire Confirmation Letter Discussion Materials, ‘00002Final INTRODUCTION PURPOSE _] The Employment Insurance (EI) program provides temporary income support to those who lost their job through no fault of their own; who cannot work for reasons of sickness, childbirth, or parenting; or who are providing care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death. ‘Thus, the financial support from El Part I improves the economic security of Canadian workers. However, there is considerable concern that the EI system inhibits geographic mobility from high unemployment regions to low unemployment regions in Canada. It is often suggested that the El System encourages individuals to remain in high unemployment regions by providing less restrictive eligibility and longer EI benefit durations in these regions, rather than encouraging individuals to pursue better employment opportunities in other regions. However, it also can be argued that the EI system might actually increase mobility, particularly if the income support from the El system allows more efficient job search or helps individuals pay moving costs. Thus the actual direction of the effect of El on geographic mobility is unclear and the magnitude is unknown. Empirical research on this topic has not provided any conclusive answers due mainly to the lack of suitable data and the technical difficulties of disentangling the effects of the El benefits trom all the other factors that enter into a worker's decision to move. The purpose of this project was to use a different approach ~ namely, a qualitative approach — to shed new light on determinants of geographic mobility The Statement of Work (SOW) identified the following evaluation questions: 1, What factors influence geographic labour mobility, that is, the decision to accept a job that requires a residential move (temporary or permanent) within the country? 2. To what extent does El eligibility and generosity affect geographic labour mobility? ‘What type of migration incentives could encourage EI clients to accept a job that requires a residential move? 4. Does migration lead to an improvement in the economic and social situation of migrants and their families? With regard to Evaluation Question #4, it should be noted the selection of communities for the focus groups put constraints on the extent to which this question could be explored. By design, all of the communities were in El regions with relatively high unemployment. Therefore, the primary issue explored with participants was more why they have not moved out of these communities to an area offering better job prospects. ‘The research sample did provide results pertinent to Evaluation Question #4 with respect to temporary moves away from these communities to get work, but the sample for permanent moves was very limited. ‘Sage Research Corporation (1771) 7 000003