The number of Canadians receiving EI benefits rose 44,300, or 7.8%, from January, with the highest increases in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan, the StatsCan report said.

Since October 2008, the number of Canadians on EI has risen 21.9%, or by more than 610,000 people.

In Alberta, regular beneficiaries surged 27.3% in February compared to the previous month, and have soared nearly 68% from October 2008, Statistics Canada said.

In Ontario, claims rose 7.8% in the month, and are now up 28.6% since October, while claims in British Columbia rose 11.6% in February, and are up 39.8% since October.

Metro areas in Canada have seen the sharpest rises in unemployment insurance beneficiaries. In Calgary, the number of beneficiaries more than doubled to 11,700, while Edmonton saw a 96.4% increase.

In Toronto, the increase was more than 60% in the month, and as high as 96% in Kitchener, 83.4% in Hamilton and 82.9% in London.

Statistics Canada noted that to be eligible for EI benefits, a claim must first be submitted. In February, StatsCan said 325,700 claims were received - the largest number since 1997, the earliest date at which comparable data are available.

By Stephen Huebl, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , edited by Sarah Sussman, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

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