Employment Insurance Beneficiaries Increase in July 2024

In July 2024, the number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits increased by 2.2% from the previous month, totaling 489,000 beneficiaries. This marks the third consecutive monthly increase. Year-over-year, the number of regular EI beneficiaries rose by 10.0%, an increase of 44,000 individuals.

In Ontario, the number of regular EI beneficiaries in July 2024 was 157,750, reflecting a monthly increase of 3.0%. Year-over-year, this represents a 24.2% increase.

In Quebec, the number of regular EI beneficiaries was 108,140, showing a monthly decrease of 4.2%. Year-over-year, the number of beneficiaries decreased by 2.0%.

The Labour Force Survey indicates that in the three months leading to July 2024, the unemployment rate in Canada increased by 0.3 percentage points to 6.4%, while overall employment remained steady.