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Number of people receiving EI up more than 10 per cent in past year: StatCan

People line up outside a Service Canada to file for employment insurance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Craig Wadman/Â鶹ӰÊÓ Toronto) People line up outside a Service Canada to file for employment insurance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Craig Wadman/Â鶹ӰÊÓ Toronto)
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Almost 474,000 people are receiving regular employment insurance in Canada, according to the latest data — a 10 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.

says the number of people on EI grew for the second straight month, rising by about 6,000 people. The report, which has numbers up to June 2024, also says 519,000 people are unemployed on layoff. 

The report cites men aged 25 to 54 years old as having a particularly high increase month-over-month, with an additional 3,800 men receiving benefits, an increase of 2.1 per cent for that group.

Women aged 55 and older also saw a large increase of 1,300 beneficiaries, or 2.7 per cent. 

Across the provinces

Over the past year, Ontario has seen the largest increase in the number of people receiving EI. The province had 30,000 more people on benefits in June 2024 compared to 2023, a 25 per cent overall increase.

Only Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nunavut had fewer beneficiaries this June compared to last year.

The overall unemployment rate in Canada has steadily increased over the past year, up a full percentage point from 5.4 per cent in June 2023 to 6.4 per cent in June 2024.

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