EI beneficiaries up in August: StatsCan

Claims for benefits also increased

The number of people receiving regular employment insurance benefits increased in August.

The number of beneficiaries was up by 35,200, or 6.6 per cent to 568,600, following a decline of 4.4 per cent in July.

The number of regular beneficiaries was up in all provinces, with the largest percentage increase in Manitoba (14.1 per cent). There were also marked increases in the number of beneficiaries in Ontario (8.2 per cent) and Quebec (6.4 per cent).

The increases in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta follow a period of continuous decline that began nearly one year ago.

More claims in August

The number of initial and renewal claims rose for the second consecutive month, up by 4.4. per cent or 10,700 to 255,600 in August. The largest percentage increase occurred in Quebec (23.6 per cent) as well as Newfoundland and Labrador (19.8 per cent).

Claims fell in Ontario (6.5 per cent) and Alberta (4.2 per cent).

Demographic groups

In August, the number of men receiving regular benefits fell by 20.7 per cent from 12 months earlier to 268,700. There were declines of 23.2 per cent among men aged under 25 and 22.6 per cent among those aged 25 to 54. The number of male beneficiaries aged 55 and over decreased 13.5 per cent.

The number of women receiving benefits in August was 307,600, down 11.4 per cent from August 2010. The number of beneficiaries decreased 20.1 per cent among women under 25, and fell by 12.4 per cent among those aged 25 to 54. The pace of decline for women 55 and over was slower, at 4.6 per cent.

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