There were fewer Canadians applying for unemployment benefits in the last month for which records were kept.
Figures out Thursday from Statistics Canada show the number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits dropped by 38,000 (-2.4%) in July to 1.5 million. British Columbia, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick accounted for most of the decrease.
July EI statistics reflect labour market conditions during the week of July 11 to 17.
In Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, all public health measures—aside from some masking and screening requirements in select settings—were lifted on or before the start of the reference week. All regions of Quebec moved into the lowest level of restrictions on June 28 and retail capacity limits were lifted on July 12.
In Ontario, most restrictions on indoor dining and recreational activities were lifted toward the end of the reference week, on July 16. In Manitoba, personal care services and restaurants reopened at the end of June, and capacity limits on restaurants, gyms, and retail stores were further eased on July 17.
