The Daily, Tuesday, October 28, 2003. Employment Insurance

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Employment Insurance

The estimated number of Canadians (adjusted for seasonality) receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits in August moved up 1.0% from July to 588,890, marking the seventh consecutive monthly rise. The August gain was driven by increases in Ontario (+2.1%), British Columbia (+1.2) and Quebec (+0.6%). Over the past six months, Ontario and British Columbia have registered consecutive monthly increases. Notable decreases were recorded in Manitoba (-5.4%), Newfoundland and Labrador (-1.8%) and Alberta (-1.6%).

Also on a seasonally adjusted basis, regular benefit payments in August totalled $771.9 million, while the number of people making initial and renewal claims was 244,520.

Number of beneficiaries receiving regular benefits

August 2003

August 2003^p

July to August 2003

August 2002 to August 2003

seasonally adjusted

% change

Canada

588,890

1.0

5.7

Newfoundland and Labrador

35,410

-1.8

1.8

Prince Edward Island

8,460

-0.4

4.7

Nova Scotia

30,470

0.0

0.7

New Brunswick

34,930

-0.9

-4.4

Quebec

190,120

0.6

4.6

Ontario

149,760

2.1

11.5

Manitoba

14,440

-5.4

0.4

Saskatchewan

12,740

0.0

2.7

Alberta

35,110

-1.6

6.1

British Columbia

70,100

1.2

6.8

Yukon Territory

1,040

-1.0

4.0

Northwest Territories and Nunavut

1,140

0.9

-2.6

unadjusted for seasonality

Northwest Territories

640

-4.5

-12.3

Nunavut

390

-4.9

18.2

^p	Preliminary figures.

Note: Employment Insurance Statistics Program data are produced from an administrative data source and may, from time to time, be affected by changes to the Employment Insurance Act or administrative procedures.

The number of beneficiaries is a measure of all persons who received Employment Insurance benefits for the week containing the fifteenth day of the month. The regular benefit payments series measures the total of all monies received by individuals for the entire month.

Employment Insurance statistics

August 2003

July 2003

August 2002

July to August 2003

August 2002 to August 2003

seasonally adjusted

% change

Regular beneficiaries

588,890^p

582,860^p

557,290

1.0

5.7

Regular benefits paid ($ millions)

771.9^p

756.1^r

726.1

2.1

6.3

Claims received ('000)

244.5^p

263.8^r

234.5

-7.3

4.3

unadjusted

% change

All beneficiaries ('000) (see note to users)

809.5^p

808.8p

763.7

0.1

6.0

Regular beneficiaries ('000)

548.2^p

554.3p

512.6

-1.1

6.9

Claims received ('000)

167.4

348.4

169.3

-52.0

-1.1

Payments ($ millions)

1,074.7

1,076.0

1,065.1

-0.1

0.9

year-to-date (January to August)

2003

2002

2002 to 2003

% change

Claims received ('000)

1,878.8

1,761.1

6.7

Payments ($ millions)

10,183.6

10,212.9

-0.3

^p	Preliminary figures.
^r	Revised figures.
Note:	"All beneficiaries" includes all claimants receiving regular benefits (for example, as a result of layoff) or special benefits (for example, as a result of illness).

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2604.

Data on Employment Insurance for September will be released on November 27.

For general information or to order data, contact Client Services (1-866-873-8788; 613-951-4090; labour@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Gilles Groleau (613-951-4091), Labour Statistics Division.