MaryAnn Mihychuk Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, is in Manitoba this week to outline changes to the Employment Insurance program announced in the 2016 federal budget.

Mihychuk explains it's the first phase of EI overhauls, noting waits time for benefits will be reduced from two weeks to one, which means recipients will be without income for a shorter period of time.

She notes changes are also coming to the eligibility rules, which she calls discriminatory towards women reentering the workforce after starting a family, young people and new immigrants, "they had to work sometimes double the number of hours as anybody else to be able to be eligible for employment insurance even though they pay," Mihychuk says. "Those rules have been eliminated, they will treated like any other Canadian. The system didn't work and it was actually hurting all of those groups."

EI Premiums are also dropping from $1.88 to $1.61.

"It's a win-win situation this year," Mihychuk says, adding many of these changes will be taking effect in July.

The overhauls will be timely for manufacturers in the commodity sector impacted by the economic downturn, able to now double the number of weeks eligible for workshare. Instead of 38 weeks, workshare is jumping to 76 weeks.

"That's good for the businesses because they can keep their skilled workers, and workers can do part-time work and collect EI," she says, encouraging employers to contact Service Canada to see if they are eligible.