By Randy Thanthong-Knight and Mario Baker Ramirez
(Bloomberg) — The number of unemployed Canadians receiving government assistance has reached the highest level since February 2022.
People receiving regular employment insurance benefits rose 1.2% in July from a month earlier, adding to the ballooning share of beneficiaries amid a weakening labour market, Statistics Canada data showed Thursday.
Since the start of this year, when the surge began, this cohort has grown by 64,000 or 13.2%.
A deteriorating job market due to U.S. tariffs is a key reason the Bank of Canada resumed cutting rates this week. The Canadian economy lost more than 100,000 positions in July and August and the jobless rate surged to 7.1%.
The growing number of employment insurance beneficiaries is one sign that it’s increasingly harder for Canadians to find work, even in sectors not directly affected by U.S. trade and exports.
In July, the number of EI recipients receiving regular benefits increased the most among Canadians who were last employed in education, law, and social, community and government services.
The number of core-aged women — 25 to 54 years old — receiving EI jumped 12% on the month, the fastest growth since April 2021. There were monthly declines among core-aged men, women 55 and older and young men aged 15 to 24.
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Last modified: September 18, 2025