The number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits edged up (+2,300; +0.4%) to reach 548,000 in March, following a decline of 8,700 (-1.6%) in February. The March figure remains below the recent peak of 569,000 recorded in November 2025, reported Statistics Canada.
Data from the Labour Force Survey indicates that the unemployment rate was 6.7% in March 2026, unchanged from February, but up 0.2 percentage points from January, said the federal agency.
In March, there were increases in the number of people receiving regular EI benefits among core-aged (25 to 54 years old) women (+3,500; +2.5%) and women aged 55 and older (+1,000; +1.8%). On the other hand, declines were recorded among both young (aged 15 to 24) women (-500; -3.5%) and young men (-700; -1.8%), while the number of recipients for core-aged men and men aged 55 and older was little changed for the month, it said.
In the 12 months ending in March, the number of regular EI beneficiaries was up by 44,000 (+8.7%). The largest year-over-year increases were among core-aged women (+18,000; +14.7%), core-aged men (+12,000; +6.1%), and women aged 55 and older (+8,900; +17.5%), added Statistics Canada.
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“The number of regular EI recipients rose in British Columbia (+2,300; +3.8%) as well as in Ontario (+1,700; +0.9%) in March. At the same time, there were decreases in Alberta (-1,100; -1.7%), Saskatchewan (-700; -4.4%) and Manitoba (-300; -1.7%). In the other provinces, the number of regular EI recipients was little changed in March,” said the report.
“In March, the number of regular EI benefit recipients increased among those who last worked in education, law and social, community and government services (+3,300; +5.2%). On a year-over-year basis, the number of recipients in this occupational group was up by 15,000 (+28.8%).”
The number of regular EI recipients also increased in March among individuals who last worked in trades, transport and equipment operator and related occupations (+1,800; +1.0%). This increase followed two consecutive monthly declines in January and February. Compared with the same month in 2025, the number of regular EI beneficiaries among those who last worked in this occupational group was up by 5,000 (+3.0%) in March, explained Statistics Canada.
Increases in these two occupational groups in March were partially offset by declines among those who were last employed in natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (-1,300; -4.3%), occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-1,100; -2.7%) and business, finance and administration occupations (-1,000; -1.3%), it said.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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