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March 22, 2018EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, JANUARY 2018 
In January 2018, the number (seasonally adjusted) of Nova Scotians receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits decreased by 110 persons (-0.4 per cent) from the previous month to 27,820 and decreased by 840 persons (-2.9 per cent) from January 2017.
Following an increase through much of 2016, the number of EI beneficiaries in Nova Scotia declined until the middle of 2017 and has been relatively flat since. Looking at the longer-term trends, the number of beneficiaries has been relatively stable since 2015 after reaching historic lows in 2014.
The number (seasonally adjusted) of Canadians receiving regular EI benefits in January 2018 decreased 1.2 per cent (5,790 persons) from the previous month to 494,190. The number of regular EI beneficiaries decreased by 71,310 (-12.6 per cent) from January 2017.
AGE
The bulk of EI beneficiaries in Nova Scotia are aged 25 to 54, who also account for the largest share of the labour force. In the January results, the number of beneficiaries aged 25-54 was up 30 while the number of beneficiaries aged 55 and older was down by 20 persons. The number of beneficiaries aged 15-24 was down 120 in January, compared to December.
Measured as a share of the labour force, EI usage is more prevalent among older workers (6.8 per cent) than it is among youth (4.7 per cent) or core aged workers (5.4 per cent).
EI BENEFICIARIES AS A SHARE OF THE UNEMPLOYED BY PROVINCE
The number (seasonally adjusted) of Nova Scotians receiving regular EI benefits in January 2018 accounted for 5.6 per cent of the total labour force. In Canada, the number of EI beneficiaries accounted for 2.5 per cent of the total labour force.
In Nova Scotia, EI beneficiaries accounted for 68.7 per cent of the unemployed, compared to a Canadian rate of 42.8 per cent. Across the country, EI beneficiaries accounted for the highest shares of the unemployed in the Atlantic provinces, led by Newfoundland and Labrador. EI beneficiaries accounted for the lowest shares of the unemployed in Ontario, followed by Alberta and British Columbia.
Note that due to differences in estimation methodology, it is possible for the reported number of EI beneficiaries to exceed the reported number of unemployed in a given jurisdiction.
COUNTIES
In January 2018 compared to a year ago, average EI usage (unadjusted) was up in five counties. Decreases were seen in all counties except Shelburne, Yarmouth, and Queens, Cape Breton, and Victoria (Annapolis was level with a year ago). Largest declines in percentage terms were in Cumberland (-11.8%) and Hants (-8.4%).
OCCUPATION
Nova Scotia's EI usage by occupation (unadjusted) is highest among trades/transport/equipment operators, followed by sales and service occupations, natural resources, and manufacturing occupations. Year over year usage is up for health, art, culture, recreation and sport, and for natural resources and agriculture, when comparing January 2018 to January 2017.
Legislative changes to the EI program came into effect in July 2016. While some of these changes affected all EI regions across Canada, eligible claimants in the 15 regions that posted notable increases in unemployment received additional weeks of regular benefits starting in July. More information on the 2016 EI changes is available on Employment and Social Development Canada's (ESDC) website. As a result of the changes to the EI program, historical comparisons are not recommended, except in areas outside of the 15 EI regions where eligible claimants received additional weeks of benefits. These 15 EI regions are Newfoundland and Labrador, Northern Ontario, Sudbury, Northern Manitoba, Southern Saskatchewan, Northern Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Southern Alberta, Northern Alberta, Calgary, Edmonton, Southern Interior British Columbia, Northern British Columbia, Whitehorse and Nunavut.
Statistics Canada CANSIM 276-0022 (Age, Province), 276-0043 (Occupation), 276-0035 (County level)
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