BC recorded a 1.9% increase in the number of residents collecting Employment Insurance in January.
The provincial total now stands at 55,340 compared to 54,330 during the same time last year.
Moyser adds Ottawa made some recent rule changes to the program last July which resulted in the spike.
“There were 15 regions who posted notable increases in unemployment which saw eligible claimants getting a few extra weeks of benefits. Northern British Columbia was one of the affected regions.”
- Advertisement -
It’s a far cry compared to Alberta who experienced the biggest yearly jump in EI recipients at 41.2% bringing their total to 91,730.
In Canada, just under 568,000 people collected pogge at the start of the new year.