Statistics Canada has released the number of unemployment insurance claimants for the month of May, with an increase in beneficiaries in the last month and year.
While the government does not have any numbers on claimants in Kitimat, Terrace had 460 beneficiaries in May of this year, compared to 390 in May 2015.
Comparatively, Prince Rupert had 330 claimants in May 2016, and 310 in May 2015.
Both towns saw a jump of 30 claimants from April, with Terrace having 430 and Prince Rupert seeing 300, which is the lowest number of claimants since April 2015.
While Prince Rupert's unemployment insurance claimant numbers have remained relatively stable over the past year and a half, Terrace saw a significant jump between the first and second half of 2015. The town went from 330 claimants in January 2015, to 390 in May, to 460 in July, and peaking at 510 in September.
Numbers hovered around 420 for the first three months of 2016, before going up in April and May.
544,930 people overall in Canada were recipients of unemployment insurance in May, with 51,770 in BC.