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The number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits has more than doubled in the past year in the Calgary region and across Alberta.

Data released by Statistics Canada on Thursday show the number of Calgary-area recipients in October was up 9,830 people from a year earlier — an increase of 101.3 per cent. The number of people collecting regular benefits in Alberta rose by 30,170, or 102 per cent.

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On a month-over-month basis, regular beneficiaries rose by 700 people, or 3.7 per cent, in the Calgary region from September while they were up 1,800 people, or 3.1 per cent, across the province.

The federal agency said it was the 14th consecutive month of increases for Alberta.

“The increase in the number of beneficiaries in Alberta came mostly from people who last worked in business, finance and administrative occupations (+5.2 per cent), processing, manufacturing and utilities (+4.1 per cent), and natural and applied sciences (+3.9 per cent),” said Statistics Canada.