Number of British Columbians accessing EI dropped in March

British Columbia saw the number of employment insurance (EI) beneficiaries fall in March.

Preliminary figures from Statistics Canada show there were 49,410 residents accessing regular EI benefits in March of 2022.

That figure was down 6.7 per cent from February’s 52,980 beneficiaries and a decrease of 70.5 per cent from the 167,490 beneficiaries in March of 2021.

StatsCan did not have figures specific to Vernon, but did note that 2,100 people from the Kelowna census metropolitan areas accessed EI in March. That was down 19.2 per cent from the 2,600 in February, and 70.5 per cent from the 7,120 beneficiaries in March of 2021.

In B.C., there was a decline in both sexes accessing EI. The number of men collecting EI was down 10.1 per cent on a month to month basis, and there was a monthly drop of 2.5 per cent in women.

There were 4,790 15 to 24 year olds in B.C. getting EI, which was down 16 per cent, while 31,080 25 to 54 year olds got it, down 5.9 per cent, along with 13,540 residents age 55 and older, down 4.9 per cent, in March.

Nationally, there were 524,040 Canadians receiving regular EI benefits in March. That was down 7.2 per cent from February’s 564,620 beneficiaries, and down 65.2 per cent the 1,505,390 who got EI the previous March.

Canadians accessing regular employment insurance from January 2020 to March 2022. (graph courtesy of Statistics Canada)

B.C. had the fourth highest number of residents accessing regular EI benefits in March after Ontario (144,880), Quebec (119,900), and Alberta (57,950).

StatsCan figures show that all age groups and both sexes reported declines in the number of people accessing EI in Canada.