OTTAWA, July 21 (UPI) -- The number of unemployed Canadians receiving federal jobless benefits fell by 3 percent in May, the eighth consecutive monthly decline, Statistics Canada said.
There were 18,100 fewer people receiving jobless benefits in May from April, for a total of 577,300, the agency said.
As happened in April, the number of initial and renewal claims increased, but there were fewer people overall receiving Employment Insurance benefits in May.
"There were fewer beneficiaries in most provinces, with the largest percentage declines in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba," StatsCan said.
However, the number of beneficiaries shot up 23.9 percent in Saskatchewan and 21.7 percent in Newfoundland/Labrador.
Demographically, the number of men receiving regular jobless benefits fell 18 percent on an annual basis, while for women, the decline was 15.1 percent, the report said.
