Employment insurance figures continue to climb in Alberta, with the number of claimants up almost 92 per cent in the 12 months to July.

Statistics Canada’s latest data shows slightly fewer than 100,000 Albertans, or four per cent of the total labour force, claimed EI in July.

Almost two-thirds of those claiming benefits were men.

Percentage increases in the past 12 months in Calgary (96.2) and Edmonton (72.5) topped the nation as the number of provincial claimants jumped almost 92 per cent in the same period.

Economists, however, cautioned against drawing too many conclusions as prolonged job losses in the oil and gas sector, coupled with the Trudeau government’s sweeping EI reforms, contributed to July’s numbers.

Changes to EI means unemployed workers can claim an extra five weeks of regular benefits up to a maximum of 50 weeks and long-tenured workers can receive an additional 20 weeks up to a maximum of 70 weeks.

Those reforms also included expanded EI eligibility, automatic renewals and a reduction in waiting times to access benefits.

City of Edmonton chief economist John Rose believes unemployment numbers are “beginning to bottom out” in the city and is expecting some improvement, however slight, heading into 2017.

“I think you will start to see employment drift up very slowly over the next 12 to 24 months,” Rose said.

“We are beginning to bottom out here. It’s going to be a difficult, an extremely difficult situation to be in, but nonetheless we should see some improvement in the employment situation.”

Rose said most of Edmonton’s rise in unemployment is people who have lost their jobs and moving into the city seeking work.

Federal government money coming into Alberta through EI payments hit $250 million in July, up from $110 million in July 2014, is helping buffer the impact the economic downturn is having on Alberta households.

“It certainly means that retail sales will have fallen less because household spending has been buffered a little bit,” said Trevor Tombe, assistant professor of economics at the University of Calgary.

“How that filters down into avoided job losses or affect on GDP is really a tricky kind of question.”

Nationally, EI beneficiaries totalled 575,200 in July, up 4.4 per cent over June and up 4.9 per cent year over year.

Alberta Labour Minister Christina Gray said the government was focused on “helping Albertans through the job supports we have, through the supports to business we are providing and continuing to work to diversifying our economy.”

“I see those (numbers) as families that are hurting because of the downturn,” Gray said.

Matt Jeneroux, MP for Edmonton Riverbend and official Opposition critic for Western Economic Diversification, described the latest numbers as “an economic and human tragedy.”



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