According to Statistics Canada, the number of persons receiving Employment Insurance in Saskatchewan has increased from 11,320 in January 2015, to 15,590 in January 2016. This is a 41% increase in one year's time. The number of Employment Insurance claims also increased to 7,860 claims this year from 6,420 last year. Though the number is not an all time high, this is the largest number since the late 1990's. The organisation, Sask Trends Monitor believes that the numbers will only increase within the next few months.

Saskatoon itself saw a large increase in recipients; the city went through a 56% increase from last January at 2,310 people to a total of 3,600 this January.

The Federal Budget has decided Saskatoon, Lloydminster and Northern Saskatchewan will have extended EI benefits. However, their extension of EI for those affected by the collapse of the oil and gas industry will not include Regina and Southern Saskatchewan areas, where workers are being laid off in the thousands.

The largest increase of beneficiaries from December 2015 to January 2016 were the provinces of New Brunswick at 4.2%, Newfoundland and Labrador at 3.2%, and Saskatchewan and Alberta at 2.0%. There are a few provinces doing well in this economic downturn: Quebec decreased in beneficiaries by 2.0% and British Columbia decreased by 1.2%.