The number of Canadians collecting regular Employment Insurance benefits jumped 5.1 per cent in June, according to Statistics Canada.

About 816,000 Canadians collected EI benefits in June, up 39,500 from the previous month.

The largest percentage increases came in Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, Statistics Canada said. The agency says the number of beneficiaries increased 18.8 per cent in the second quarter, down from the 25.2 per cent growth rate of the first quarter.

The number of people receiving EI benefits has risen sharply since the labour market began to deteriorate last fall. Enrolment has increased 63.2 per cent, in fact, or 316,300, from the level in October 2008.

Between June 2008 and June 2009, the number of people receiving regular EI benefits increased in all metropolitan areas.

During that period, those under the age of 25 have been particularly hard hit, with those receiving regular EI benefits increasing by 108.6 per cent, more than any other demographic.

The youth unemployment rate was 12.2 per cent in June 2008, and had risen to 15.9 per cent by June 2009, the agency noted.

With files from The Canadian Press