The latest national figures show that the number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits fell to 541,320 in August, down 0.8 per cent from July and 2.9 per cent from a year earlier. The overall decline was not shared by every province: Ontario and British Columbia recorded small monthly increases, while the other provinces reported decreases.
Provincial movements differed
Ontario had 185,210 regular-benefit recipients, an increase of 0.4 per cent month on month and 0.7 per cent over 12 months. British Columbia recorded 60,680, up 0.1 per cent from July and 5.0 per cent from August 2025. Those were the only provinces where the count rose on both comparison periods.
Quebec reported the largest provincial monthly fall in percentage terms: its 121,710 recipients represented a 2.3 per cent decrease from July. Its total was 5.7 per cent lower than a year earlier. Alberta’s count fell 2.1 per cent monthly to 60,810 and was 6.4 per cent below its year-earlier level.
Newfoundland and Labrador recorded 24,990 recipients, down 2.0 per cent over the month and 13.9 per cent over the year. Prince Edward Island had 7,210, declines of 1.9 per cent and 5.9 per cent respectively. Nova Scotia’s 21,700 was down 0.5 per cent monthly and 4.4 per cent annually, while New Brunswick’s 25,200 was down 1.0 per cent and 3.4 per cent.
In the Prairies, Manitoba reported 17,290 recipients, 0.2 per cent below July and 9.0 per cent below August 2025. Saskatchewan’s 14,480 was up 0.7 per cent monthly but down 5.7 per cent annually. The territories had smaller counts: Yukon recorded 570, the Northwest Territories 690 and Nunavut 410. Their monthly movements were increases of 1.8 per cent, 3.0 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively. Compared with a year earlier, Yukon was down 3.4 per cent, the Northwest Territories up 9.5 per cent and Nunavut unchanged.
What the count measures
These figures count people who qualified for regular EI benefits during the Labour Force Survey reference week, usually the week that includes the 15th day of the month. They are not a count of everyone who was unemployed in August. Some unemployed people do not qualify for benefits, including people without sufficient insured work or those who do not meet other eligibility conditions. The beneficiary measure should therefore not be read as the unemployment rate, nor as the total number of people receiving every type of EI payment.
The comparison is also a count at a particular point in the monthly reference cycle, rather than a tally of every person who received a payment at any time during August. People whose entitlement ended before the reference week, or who began receiving benefits after it, are not included in that month’s beneficiary count. The monthly series is seasonally adjusted to help comparisons by accounting for recurring seasonal and calendar patterns.
August’s national total was 5,730 below July’s reported 547,050. The year-on-year difference was 16,120 fewer recipients than the 557,440 recorded in August 2025. These changes describe the benefit-recipient count; on their own, they do not identify why individuals’ circumstances changed or establish a corresponding change in employment or unemployment.
The figures are preliminary and subject to revision. The next monthly release, covering September, is scheduled for 18 November.
