The number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits edged higher in November, adding to signs that labour market conditions weakened through much of 2025. Beneficiaries rose by 8,900, or 1.6%, to 566,000, following several months of little change after a strong climb earlier in the year.
The November increase came after the number of EI recipients rose steadily from January to July, before leveling off in late summer and early fall. Over the past 12 months, the total number of people receiving regular benefits was up 16.1%, reflecting the broader rise in unemployment seen through most of the year.
Labour Force Survey data show the unemployment rate climbed for much of 2025, peaking at 7.1% in September before easing to 6.5% in November. The sustained increase in EI use suggests that, despite the late-year pullback in the jobless rate, displaced workers continued to face challenges returning to work.
Men accounted for most of the monthly increase in November. The number of core-aged men receiving regular EI benefits rose by 5,400, while claims among men aged 55 and older increased by 2,100. Over the past year, however, growth was broad-based across age and gender groups, with particularly large percentage increases among women aged 55 and older and core-aged women.
Ontario and Quebec were the only provinces to record notable month-over-month increases in November, together accounting for nearly the entire national rise. Within those provinces, claims increased most sharply in the Toronto and Montréal census metropolitan areas, underscoring ongoing weakness in Canada’s largest urban labour markets.
On a year-over-year basis, EI beneficiary counts rose in most provinces, with the largest increases recorded in Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario. The gains in Alberta and British Columbia stand out, given their historically tighter labour markets, and point to a more widespread slowdown across regions.
By occupation, the largest monthly increase in EI recipients came from workers who last held jobs in trades, transport and equipment operation. Notable gains were also recorded among former workers in natural and applied sciences, natural resources and manufacturing.
Over the past year, EI use increased across all major occupational groups, with particularly strong growth among former workers in trades and transport, business and administration, and sales and service. The breadth of these increases suggests that labour market pressures in 2025 were not confined to a single sector.
Taken together, the November data reinforce the picture of a labour market that cooled steadily through much of the year. While hiring conditions showed some signs of stabilizing late in 2025, rising reliance on Employment Insurance points to ongoing strain.