Contentious changes to employment insurance are now in effect.

As of Sunday, people on EI face stricter, more complex rules to keep their benefits.

The goal is get the unemployed back into the workforce sooner.

The changes to the EI program clarified what it means to be looking for a suitable job. 

The search includes preparing resumes, registering for job banks,
attending job fairs, applying for jobs & undergoing competency evaluations.

A suitable job is defined by factors including commuting time, whether the hours are compatible with the claimant's life & wages.

The feds have also launched an email subscription service to send updates on available jobs & labour market conditions.

(With files from The Canadian Press)