Employment Insurance beneficiaries increased by 199 per cent this year

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 | 2:43 pm By Kathy Michaels Kelowna.com

Economists may be calling an end to the recession, but it will be some time until the turnaround is noticed by the numerous Kelowna residents who have found themselves unemployed over the last year.Statistics Canada released its monthly figures on Employment Insurance beneficiaries today, reporting that 3,740 locals found themselves in need of EI this June.That number marks a rise of 199 per cent since last June when beneficiary numbers for this city sat at 1,250.

According to Stats Canada’s Dominique Pérusse, the employment market took its biggest hits in October of last year — a trend that is consistent across the country.“In the Thompson Okanagan region, employment went down in construction, manufacturing, accommodation and food services and trade, both retail and wholesale,” she said.

While Kelowna is the worst hit Okanagan city, both Vernon and Penticton have also reported casualties to the stagnating economy.This June, Vernon had 1,400 residents receiving benefits, compared to 520 from the year before. Penticton also took a significant jump, as there were 1,090 beneficiaries this year compared to 390 a year ago.