Fewer people in British Columbia relied on Ottawa’s Employment Insurance program in December according to Stats Canada.
The decline was felt in two different categories.
“In December there was 46,300 people collecting benefits, down by over one percent from November and on a year-over-year basis the number of beneficiaries in BC decrease by sixteen percent, the second-biggest drop among the provinces,” says Marton Lovei, Analyst.
People across the province are also starting to recover from a dramatic event that occurred four years ago.
“After the downturn in oil prices, the number of beneficiaries across Canada increased and in Prince George, but since October of 2016, we’ve been seeing a downward trend in the number of beneficiaries.”
The number of claims in the province increased 1.4% from November but on a year-over-year basis in British Columbia claims fell 11.1% – the second biggest decrease in claims across the country.
In Canada, over 500,000 people were collecting EI benefits to conclude 2017, a decrease of just over one percent from November.