Canadians Receiving Employment Insurance Increase in November

On Thursday, Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported that the number of Canadians receiving regular employment insurance (EI) benefits rose 1.6%, or 8,900, to 566,000 in November 2025.

After trending higher through the first half of the year—up 13.5%, or 66,000, from January to July—the number of beneficiaries was little changed in August, September, and October.

Data from the Labor Force Survey show the unemployment rate rose through most of 2025, reaching 7.1% in September, before easing to 6.5% in November.

Over the 12 months ending in November, the total number of EI recipients increased 16.1%, or 78,000, with gains recorded across all major demographic groups.

StatCan noted that changes in the number of regular EI beneficiaries can reflect shifts among new claimants, people returning to work, individuals exhausting benefits, or those leaving the program for other reasons.