Ontario welfare rate climbs in December despite signs of economic recovery

Ontario's welfare caseload continued to climb in December despite signs of a tentative economic recovery.

More than 440,700 Ontarians depended on social assistance -- an increase of 1.6 per cent, or almost 7,000 recipients from November 2009.

The latest information released by the provincial government also shows the largest increase in cases was among singles.

The caseload has increased steadily since the October 2008 stock market plunge that cost many workers their jobs.

While the marketplace has begun to turn around, that development has yet to be reflected in the social assistance numbers.

Kevin Cooke, a spokesman for Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur, says the caseload generally rises in tandem with the unemployment rate.