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March 25, 2021EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, JANUARY 2021 From March to September, Statistics Canada suspended publication of employment insurance (EI) statistics. Canadians were eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) during this period. New data for the period from March to September shows how an initial rise in EI claims at the start of the pandemic was reversed as new EI applicants were directed to CERB instead. After September 27, 2020 there was a temporary expansion of EI and CERB recipients were transitioned back to EI.
The new information for January was collected in reference to the period January 10-16. During the reference week public health measures were maintained in Ontario, including new measures outside of southern Ontario implemented on December 26th. Existing public health measures also continued in Alberta and Manitoba. In Quebec, non-essential retail businesses were closed effective December 25, and a curfew implemented on January 14 further affected the operating hours of some businesses. Prior to the reference week, public health measures were eased in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia (Halifax and surrounding area).
In January 2021, there were 43,620 Nova Scotians in receipt of regular EI (seasonally adjusted). Nova Scotia's seasonally adjusted regular EI usage decreased by 2,960 (-6.4%) from December to January.
About 1.48 million Canadians received regular EI benefits in January (seasonally adjusted), an increase of 148,960 (+11.2%) from December.
Comparing January 2021 with the same month in 2020, EI usage has more than tripled across Canada (+225.9%). In Nova Scotia, EI usage was up 70.7% over this period. The largest percentage increases in EI usage were in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta. The lowest increases in EI usage were reported in Atlantic Canada.
By age and sex cohort, the year over year percentage increase (Jan 2021 vs Jan 2020, seasonally adjusted) in EI usage was notably higher among women. Prior to the pandemic, women had lower EI usage compared to men. This pattern holds across all age cohorts. The industries whose employment was most affected by public health restrictions and other pandemic precautions had a disproportionate share of female employment.
Among counties (comparing unadjusted results for Jan 2021 with Jan 2020), EI usage increased the most in Halifax, Kings, Hants, and Yarmouth counties. Increases in EI usage were lowest in Victoria, Inverness, and Guysborough.
Note: Statistics Canada has not updated EI usage by occupation.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0011-01 Employment insurance beneficiaries (regular benefits) by province and territory, monthly, seasonally adjusted; Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months; Table 14-10-0323-01 Employment insurance beneficiaries by census division, monthly, unadjusted for seasonality
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