EI claims in New Brunswick were up 5.8% according to new data Statistics Canada (year over year from June 2004 to June 2005). During the same time, the number of working New Brunswickers only dropped by 0.2%. According to the TJ (not the TT), EI claims have reached a two-year high in N.B.

The following is my monthly 'employment' tracking chart. Manitoba is creeping up on New Brunswick. If the trend holds, only Newfoundland and Saskatchewan will have a worse job creation record since 1999. PEI's employment growth continues to impress. Nova Scotia has dropped - most likely to the lack of offshore-related employment growth.

Only Newfoundland has a lower 'employment rate' than New Brunswick among all the provinces.


Growth in Employment (%)
July 1999 to July 2005

Alberta - 14.2%
BC - 13.0%
PEI - 10.9%
Ontario - 10.9%
Canada - 10.2%
Quebec - 9.4%
Nova Scotia - 5.9%
New Brunswick - 4.4%
Manitoba - 4.3%
Newfoundland and Labrador - 2.9%
Saskatchewan - 0.4%
Source: Stats Canada