Trends and Usage of Employment Insurance (EI) in Newfoundland and Labrador gives a statistical overview of past and current trends in program usage in the province. Since Confederation, when the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Program was introduced, UI/EI programs have played a role in the Province’s labour markets. Historically, many workers enter and exit the program as seasonal work begins and ends each year. As a result, UI/EI data provide useful information regarding the situation and events in the labour market and economy.

 Since 1990, the Province’s economy has experienced a recession, a collapse of the ground fishery, high levels of, as well as declining, out-migration and an economic recovery with some of the highest levels of performance recorded in Canada. All of these events have impacted UI/EI usage and are reflected in the statistical trends found in the data. The purpose of this brief document is to provide statistics on major trends since the early 1990s to 2006 (most recent reliable data). While the report is not an “analytical” document, it does provide information regarding labour market and economic performance and aspects of the dynamics of our economy that relate to E.I. usage in the province. It is intended to provide data for input to analysis that might be carried out to explore issues reflected by the data.