More Canadians are collecting Employment Insurance
Released: Friday, September 19, 2025
The latest data from Statistics Canada reveals that the number of Canadians receiving regular employment insurance (EI) benefits climbed again in July, reaching 551,870 people, representing a 1.2% increase from the previous month. It’s the seventh consecutive monthly increase since the beginning of the year, representing a 13.2% increase between December 2024 and July 2025. The July figures are also the highest since February 2022, during the middle of the pandemic. Regionally, the Atlantic provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick saw modest decreases in individuals receiving EI benefits. At the same time, the rest of the provinces and territories experienced increases. The number of EI recipients is an important data point because it provides a snapshot of the labour market and economy. Variations in the monthly figure can reflect changes in circumstances for various groups, including new EI recipients, people returning to work, those exhausting their benefits, and others who no longer receive benefits. Generally, an increase in EI recipients can indicate a higher unemployment rate and a weakening economy.
Data for the above chart comes from Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0011-01 Employment insurance beneficiaries (regular benefits) by province and territory, monthly, seasonally adjusted
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