TORONTO -- 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 almost 7,000 recipients from November 2009, according to the latest information released by the provincial government.

Kevin Cooke, a spokesperson for Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur, said the Ontario Works caseload generally rises in tandem with the unemployment rate.

“We recognize the diverse challenges that Ontario Works recipients face, particularly in the changing economy,” Cooke said. “But what’s encouraging is that the majority of our clients are not long-term recipients. More than 50% of our cases have been on the program for a year or less.”

The largest increase in cases was among singles.

Since Ontario Works requires applicants to have exhausted virtually all their financial assets, the increase points to a significant surge in poverty.

The caseload has increased steadily since the October 2008 stock market plunge that sent employers scrambling for their pink slip pad.

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