Number of recipients has increased 39.3 per cent since October
April saw the smallest increase in the number of people receiving employment insurance benefits in six months, according to Statistics Canada.
The number of people receiving EI benefits in April increased by 2.7 per cent, or 18,600, from March to reach 697,000 recipients.
Alberta and Saskatchewan showed the fastest rate of increase in the number of beneficiaries.
The number of beneficiaries in Alberta grew by 16.3 per cent to 48,300 from March to April. Since October 2008, the number of beneficiaries in that province has increased by 164.9 per cent to 30,100.
The number of beneficiaries in Saskatchewan rose 12.2 per cent in March to reach 13,200 people.
Since last October, the number of EI beneficiaries has risen by 39.3 per cent, with the largest percentage growth in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
However, the unemployment rates in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan have remained among the lowest in the country from October to April.
Since April 2008, the increase in beneficiaries was highest among workers under 25 and men, with increases of 73.3 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.
While the number of people receiving EI benefits was up in April, initial and renewal claims were down 1.7 per cent, following a 2.1-per-cent decrease in March.
