Ottawa plans to temporarily enhance benefits in some regions, granting up to 70 weeks of coverage to long-tenured employees in 12 regions identified as having particularly acute unemployment challenges, including energy-dependent parts of Western Canada, Northern Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.: ]) L* v& p1 w" Q ?4 f" |* K U9 ~& P
3 t! c+ S: l9 Z1 ~Edmonton excluded from federal budget EI changes for Alberta ^5 A+ j: w2 W4 \$ U; c5 @Liberal budget targets families, cities with deficit spending / a' h& i2 d' \* U/ o3 e& M( }2 H9 sDeficit projected at $29 billion next year -- with more red ink to come