Andreas Pollak
Regional Disparities in Canadian Employment Insurance
Dr. Andreas Pollak, an associate professor in the Department of Economics who specializes in macroeconomics, focuses his reach on Employment Insurance in Canada. Examining the usefulness of the Canadian system as the business cycle changes over time, the Canadian system is the only one among developed countries that the amount of insurance given varies on where one lives. Canadian Employment Insurance has regional differences, varying from province to province. As well, there are differences between regions within a province. The generosity of the system depends on current employment rates and the fluctuation between low and high unemployment periods.
Dr. Pollak’s research examines whether the Canadian system makes sense in the current global economic situation. With the system having altruistic intentions, is it the best Canada can do? Is giving varying amounts of insurance to people based on risk assessment the ideal model?
Other research includes exploring the effects of increasing national Research and Development (R&D) in effort to create more effective or improved products. By increasing the proportion of the gross domestic product devoted to R&D to approximately four times what they were in the 1950s are we creating a heavier economic burden for the future?
Dr. Pollak has recently published in refereed journals such as the European Economic Review, Economic Inquiry, and the Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics.
