In September, Quebec had 109,730 unemployed workers receiving employment insurance benefits, a number down 61.2% over the past year.
Statistics Canada reported Thursday that the number of employment insurance beneficiaries reached 455,000 nationwide in September, down 5.6% from the previous minimum and 65% from a year ago. The number of EI claimants returned to pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.
The official unemployment rate was 5.2% in September, but counting people who want a job but did not look for one that month, the unemployment rate is 7.1%, according to Statistics Canada estimates.
The number of employment insurance beneficiaries is down in all provinces. In Quebec, the number of employment insurance beneficiaries fell by 4.6% between August and September. In the Montreal metropolitan area, there were 40,540 employment insurance claimants in September, a decrease of 4.5% in one month and 68.5% in one year.
Employment insurance beneficiaries are lower in all age groups and for both men and women, but the greatest decline is observed among women and young people aged 15 to 24.
From August to September, the number of EI beneficiaries fell in all industries except manufacturing. The biggest drop occurred in sales and services, where activity is returning to normal with the easing of health measures.