More Canadians relied on Employment Insurance in March, another sign that the job market remains weak in many parts of the country.
548,000 people received regular EI benefits in March, up 2,300 from February. The total was still below the recent peak of 569,000 reached in November 2025, but it was 8.7 percent higher than a year earlier.
The unemployment rate held at 6.7 percent in March, but the rise in EI claims suggests many unemployed Canadians are still having trouble finding new work.
The biggest monthly increase came from women aged 25 to 54. The number of core-aged women receiving EI rose by 3,500 in March and was up nearly 15 percent compared with the same month last year. Women aged 55 and older also recorded a large annual increase.
The data also showed growing pressure in sectors often viewed as relatively stable. Claims from people who last worked in education, social services, law and government-related jobs rose by 3,300 in March and jumped nearly 29 percent from a year earlier.
Trades and transportation workers also saw an increase in EI use after two months of declines, pointing to uneven demand in construction, trucking and related industries.
At the same time, fewer claims came from workers in natural resources, manufacturing and business administration. The decline does not necessarily mean hiring improved, since some workers may have exhausted benefits or left the EI system.
British Columbia recorded the largest provincial increase in EI recipients in March, rising 3.8 percent. Ontario also posted an increase. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba all saw declines, with Saskatchewan posting the largest drop.
Despite some monthly declines in the Prairies, Ontario and British Columbia continue to show strong year-over-year increases in EI use, reflecting weaker labour conditions in some of Canada’s largest economies.
The March figures add to evidence that hiring has slowed across several industries even without a major spike in unemployment.