Toronto serf here.
I worked as a temp employee for many jobs, including the public sector. There was never a chance for me to get perm to begin with. It was contract after contract until I got laid off my main temp job unexpectedly.
I got laid off because the contract has ended. However, for that job I made way more than minimum wage, so my EI payments are higher than working for minimum wage in Toronto. I am eligible for 8 months of EI.
As a condition of EI, I have to be ready and willing to work, but it seems that many of the jobs pay below what my EI gives me, and employers and temp agencies are always asking me why I have a mild gap in my resume (as I waited months for EI and collected in the third month after applying).
So is it advisable to just collect the EI until it's exhausted? Minimum wage and dead-end jobs are plentiful.