OTTAWA
,
August 22, 2024
(press release)
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In June, the number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits totalled 474,000, up 1.3% (+6,000) from a month earlier. This was the second consecutive monthly increase. Prior to the increases in May and June, the number of regular EI beneficiaries had held relatively steady since September 2023. On a year-over-year basis, the number of regular EI beneficiaries was up by 45,000 (+10.4%) in June 2024. Data from the Labour Force Survey show that the unemployment rate increased 0.2 percentage points in June to 6.4%, as more people searched for work, while overall employment held steady. Compared with 12 months earlier, the unemployment rate was up by 1.0 percentage points and the number of unemployed people on layoff increased to 519,000 (+16.1%; +72,000) (not seasonally adjusted). In general, variations in the number of EI beneficiaries can reflect changes in the circumstances of different groups, including those becoming beneficiaries, those going back to work, those exhausting their regular benefits, and those no longer receiving benefits for other reasons. Chart 1: Number of regular Employment Insurance beneficiaries rises for the second consecutive month following little change from September 2023 to April 2024 More core-aged men and older women receive regular Employment Insurance benefits On a year-over-year basis, the number of regular EI beneficiaries increased for all major demographic groups, led by core-aged men (+12.8%; +21,000) and core-aged women (+10.5%; +11,000). More regular Employment Insurance recipients in four provinces The increase in Newfoundland and Labrador (+2.7%; +700) in June followed three consecutive monthly declines, while Quebec (+2.5%; +2,700) and Ontario (+1.7%; +2,600) were up for the second consecutive month. Following a downward trend since November 2023, the number of regular EI recipients in British Columbia (+1.3%; +600) edged up in June. The number of regular EI recipients in Alberta (-1.7%; -900) fell in June, the fifth consecutive monthly decline. In Prince Edward Island, the decline (-1.4%; -100) in June was the third notable monthly decrease since January 2024. Chart 2: Largest proportional increases in regular Employment Insurance recipients in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec in June The number of regular Employment Insurance beneficiaries up in most major occupational groups The largest proportional increase from June 2023 to June 2024 was among regular EI recipients who last worked in natural and applied sciences and related occupations (+26.3%; +7,000). Over the same period, there was also a notable increase in the number of regular EI beneficiaries who last worked in manufacturing and utilities (+21.8%; +7,400), particularly as machine operators, assemblers and inspectors in processing, manufacturing, and printing (+37.7%; +6,000), and mostly in Ontario. In the 12 months to June 2024, fewer regular EI recipients (-7.2%; -2,300) last worked in natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations. Chart 3: Largest 12-month increase in regular EI beneficiaries among those who last worked in natural and applied sciences Note to readers Concepts and methodology EI statistics indicate the number of people who received EI benefits and should not be confused with Labour Force Survey (LFS) data, which provide estimates of the total number of unemployed people. There is always a certain proportion of unemployed people who do not qualify for benefits. Some unemployed people have not contributed to the program because they have not worked in the past 12 months or their employment was not insured. Other unemployed people have contributed to the program, but do not meet the eligibility criteria, such as workers who left their jobs voluntarily or those who did not accumulate enough hours of work to receive benefits. All data in this release are seasonally adjusted, unless otherwise specified. To model the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, values for all series from March 2020 to December 2022 have been treated with a combination of level shifts and outliers to determine a seasonal pattern for seasonal adjustment. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions. The number of regular EI beneficiaries for the current month and the previous month is subject to revision. The number of beneficiaries is all people who received regular EI benefits from June 9 to 15, 2024. This period coincides with the reference week of the LFS. A census metropolitan area (CMA) and a census agglomeration (CA) are formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre. A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000. A CA must have a population of at least 10,000. See Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021 for more information. Next release Products Contact information Industry Intelligence Editor's Note: This press release omits select charts and/or marketing language for editorial clarity. Click here to view the full report.
The number of regular EI beneficiaries among core-aged men (25 to 54 years old) rose by 2.1% (+3,800) in June, the second consecutive monthly increase. Women aged 55 and older (+2.7%; +1,300) also posted increases in the month, after also increasing in May. There was little change in the number of regular EI beneficiaries among those aged 15 to 24.
The number of regular EI beneficiaries rose notably in four provinces in June. Newfoundland and Labrador posted the largest proportional increase, followed by Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. In contrast, there were fewer people receiving regular EI benefits in Alberta and in Prince Edward Island. There was little change in the other provinces.
On a year-over-year basis, the number of regular EI beneficiaries was up among those who last worked in most broad occupational categories in June, except for two: natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations and those in art, culture, recreation and sport.
Revisions to Employment Insurance statistics
With the July 18, 2024, release of May data, the seasonally adjusted series of Employment Insurance (EI) statistics were revised back to January 2000 to reflect the most recent seasonal factors as well as the 2021 Standard Geographical Classification (SGC). Also, data for EI beneficiaries by occupation conforming to the 2021 National Occupational Classification were made available from January 2008 onwards.
EI statistics are produced from administrative data sources provided by Service Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada. These statistics may, from time to time, be affected by changes to the Employment Insurance Act or administrative procedures.
Data on EI for July will be released on September 19.
More information about the concepts and use of Employment Insurance statistics is available in the Guide to Employment Insurance Statistics (Catalogue number73-506-G).
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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