StatsCan reveals a 55.6 per cent increase in recipients since October 2008
There were 778,700 Canadians receiving employment insurance benefits in May, according to Statistics Canada. This is a 9.2 per cent increase since April, a 55.6 per cent increase since October, and marks the highest number of people getting regular benefits since 1997. The amount of EI recipients has risen in every province, with Alberta, BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba all reporting their highest rates since ’97.