Stats Canada announced yesterday that the number of folks on the EI rolls have dropped a little last month (down by 31,500 to be a little more exact), which is down from the high of last month. Does this mean more people have found work and no longer are on the EI ? Maybe, that could be the case, but some of these folks may be folks whose benefits have expired as well. Hopefully it is the former reason and not the latter.
Fun with Maps
Stats Canada put out a funky map on their web site with this data that shows the increase in EI claims by area superimposed on a map of Canada. Some of the data is quite striking, not the least of which is just how sparse the Canadian population is in comparison to the size of our country, but also the 100-400% increases in Northern Alberta are quite scarey to see as well.
Wild stuff, interesting also to see that the Maritimes did not really see huge increases in EI claims whereas Souther Ontario really took it on the chin.
The problem with percentage changes on your map is that a 400% increase in some areas like Northern Alberta could easily still leave them with an enviably low number of EI recipients. Any increase in unemployment from “virtually none” will create a huge upswing when measured as a percentage.
And it’ll come back. It already is. While my company – an oil + gas service company – downsized many people in the last year, but those that we’ve kept are now quite busy, overtime is back, which means it’s only a matter of time before we hit a hiring phase again.