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Canadians Receiving Unemployment Benefits Highest in Three Years

Attendees wait in line at a career fair in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Photographer: Paige Taylor White/Bloomberg

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By Randy Thanthong-Knight and Mario Baker Ramirez

September 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM UTC

The number of unemployed Canadians receiving government assistance has reached the highest level since February 2022.

People receiving regular employment insurance benefits rose 1.2% in July from a month earlier, adding to the ballooning share of beneficiaries amid a weakening labor market, Statistics Canada data showed Thursday.