The number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits edged down 1.1 per cent to 544,000 in September, marking the second consecutive month of slight declines after an upward trend earlier in the year.
The decrease of 6,200 beneficiaries follows a period of growth from January to July 2025, when the number of regular EI recipients increased by 66,000, according to Statistics Canada data released Nov. 20.
The unemployment rate remained steady at 7.1 per cent in September, unchanged from August but up from 6.6 per cent in January 2025, according to Labour Force Survey data.
Demographic shifts in EI recipients
Core-aged women between 25 and 54 years old saw the largest decline in September, with 4,800 fewer recipients, a decrease of 3.4 per cent. Core-aged men in the same age group declined by 1.2 per cent, or 2,500 workers, while young women aged 15 to 24 dropped by 2.3 per cent.
Women aged 55 and older moved in the opposite direction, with an increase of 3.4 per cent, or 1,900 additional recipients.
Over the 12 months ending in September, all major demographic groups recorded increases. Core-aged women posted the largest year-over-year gain at 18.9 per cent, adding 22,000 recipients, while core-aged men increased 8.7 per cent with 17,000 additional workers.
Quebec leads provincial decline
Quebec accounted for the bulk of September’s decrease, with 3,600 fewer regular EI recipients, a drop of 2.8 per cent. This marked the province’s second consecutive monthly decline.
Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador also posted notable decreases, down 3.7 per cent and 1.9 per cent respectively.
Despite the monthly declines, year-over-year data shows widespread provincial increases. British Columbia led with a 21.7 per cent increase, adding 10,000 recipients, followed by Alberta at 19.4 per cent with 10,000 additional workers. Quebec increased 12.2 per cent year-over-year with 14,000 more recipients, while Ontario rose 12.1 per cent, adding 19,000 workers.
Occupational patterns in benefit recipients
Workers who last held positions in education, law and social, community and government services saw the largest occupational decline, down 1,600 recipients or 2.5 per cent in September. This marked the second straight monthly decrease for this sector, though the group remained up 21.8 per cent compared to January 2025.
Those who last worked in trades, transport and equipment operators also declined slightly, down 0.9 per cent or 1,500 recipients.
Year-over-year figures show increases across most occupational groups. Business, finance and administration workers posted the largest gain with 14,000 additional recipients, up 23.5 per cent, while sales and service occupations increased by 12,000 workers, a rise of 15.4 per cent.
