By Following little change in October, the number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in November edged down 4,500 (-0.8%) to 528,000.
The number of beneficiaries decreased slightly in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. At the same time, there were slight increases in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador. There was virtually no change in the other provinces.
Chart 1
The number of Employment Insurance beneficiaries edges down in November
To receive EI benefits, individuals must first submit a claim. The number of claims provides an indication of the number of people who could become beneficiaries.
Nationally, the number of initial and renewal claims fell by 4,400 (-1.9%) to 226,700 in November.
There were declines in eight provinces, with the most notable percentage decreases in Alberta (-6.7%), Nova Scotia (-4.1%), Saskatchewan (-3.7%) and Ontario (-3.1%). At the same time, the number of claims rose in Manitoba (+2.9%) and Quebec (+1.4%).
Chart 2
Fewer Employment Insurance claims in November
The number of people receiving regular benefits in November fell slightly in four provinces.
In Nova Scotia, the number of beneficiaries declined 1.6%, following small decreases in the two previous months.
The number of beneficiaries fell 1.2% in British Columbia, the third consecutive monthly decline.
There were also fewer people receiving regular benefits in Ontario (-1.1%) in November, following little change the month before.
In Quebec, the number of beneficiaries decreased 1.0% in November, offsetting an increase in October.
There were slightly more beneficiaries in three provinces in November: Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan.
In Alberta, the number of people receiving benefits was up 1.5%, the fifth consecutive monthly increase. The number of beneficiaries edged up 1.0% in Newfoundland and Labrador and in Saskatchewan.
Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits are available to eligible individuals who lose their jobs and who are available for and able to work, but can't find a job. The change in the number of regular beneficiaries reflects various situations, including people becoming beneficiaries, people going back to work, and people exhausting their regular benefits.
All data in this release are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=11-010-X201000311141
