Québec EI beneficiaries rise 1.6% in July

The number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits in Québec rose 1.6% in July to 125,200, Statistics Canada reported Thursday.

Despite the monthly increase, Québec’s total was 5.3% lower than in July 2025.

Across Canada, 547,050 people received regular EI benefits in July, up 0.5% from June but down 2.2% from a year earlier. Ontario recorded 184,920 beneficiaries, up 1.1% for the month.

The count covers people receiving regular EI benefits. It should not be read as a count of everyone who is unemployed, because not every unemployed person qualifies for or receives regular benefits.

Statistics Canada publishes the series monthly using administrative data from the Employment Insurance program.

Source: Statistics Canada (released September 17, 2026).

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