Slight drop in Saskatchewan EI recipients during May

There has been a slight drop in the number of people in Saskatchewan receiving employment insurance benefits.

According to Statistics Canada, 16,100 were receiving regular benefits in May, a drop of one per cent from the previous month.

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However on a year-over-year basis, the number of beneficiaries rose 21.6 per cent from May 2015.

In Saskatoon, the number of people receiving EI in May dropped 3.9 per cent from the previous month while the number rose in Regina by 6.4 per cent.

On a yearly basis, beneficiaries are up 30.1 per cent in Saskatoon and 35.2 per cent in Regina from May 2015.

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The number of initial and renewal claims in May increased from the previous month by 9.7 per cent.