EI numbers on the rise

More people in the Oshawa area were claiming employment insurance to start off the year.

According to new numbers from Statistics Canada, 7,950 people in the Oshawa census metropolitan area, which also includes Whitby and Clarington, were claiming income benefits in January, up from 6,480 the month before.

However, January 2017’s numbers are lower than they were at the start of 2016, when it stood at 8.410.

Nationally, the number of people claiming benefits dropped slightly to 567,930, down 0.3 per cent from the end of 2016.

The number of beneficiaries across the country ticked upwards from the start up 2016, rising by 3.7 per cent or 20,300 people, with the largest increases seen in Alberta.

According to Statistics Canada, part of that increase may be due to changes in EI policy that came into effect in July, which saw more people eligible to claim benefits.