Employment Insurance (EI) provides temporary income to Canadians who lose their job through no fault of their own, are sick, pregnant, or caring for a newborn or critically ill family member. Here’s everything you need to know.

EI at a Glance (2025/26)

Feature	Details
Maximum insurable earnings	$65,700
Benefit rate	55% of average insurable earnings
Maximum weekly benefit	$695
Maximum monthly benefit	~$3,015
Duration (regular benefits)	14-45 weeks
Waiting period	1 week (unpaid)
Employee premium rate	1.64% of insurable earnings
Maximum annual employee premium	$1,077.48
Employer premium rate	1.4× employee rate (2.30%)

Types of EI Benefits

Benefit Type	Duration	Payment Rate	Who Qualifies
Regular (job loss)	14-45 weeks	55% of earnings	Lost job through no fault
Sickness	26 weeks	55% of earnings	Too sick/injured to work
Maternity	15 weeks	55% of earnings	Biological mothers
Parental (standard)	40 weeks (35 for each parent)	55% of earnings	Parents of newborn/adopted
Parental (extended)	69 weeks (61 for each parent)	33% of earnings	Parents of newborn/adopted
Compassionate care	26 weeks	55% of earnings	Caring for gravely ill family
Family caregiver (child)	35 weeks	55% of earnings	Caring for critically ill child
Family caregiver (adult)	15 weeks	55% of earnings	Caring for critically ill adult

Regular EI Eligibility

Hours Required

The number of insurable hours you need depends on your regional unemployment rate:

Regional Unemployment Rate	Insurable Hours Needed
6% and under	700 hours
6.1% - 7%	665 hours
7.1% - 8%	630 hours
8.1% - 9%	595 hours
9.1% - 10%	560 hours
10.1% - 11%	525 hours
11.1% - 12%	490 hours
12.1% - 13%	455 hours
Over 13%	420 hours

Other Requirements

Requirement	Details
Job loss reason	Laid off, company closure, end of contract
Not eligible if	You quit voluntarily, fired for misconduct
Must be	Looking for work and available to work
Must report	Complete bi-weekly reports

How Long Benefits Last

Duration depends on your insurable hours and regional unemployment rate:

Insurable Hours	6% Unemployment	8% Unemployment	10% Unemployment	12%+ Unemployment
420-454	—	—	—	14 weeks
455-489	—	—	—	16 weeks
490-524	—	—	14 weeks	18 weeks
525-559	—	—	16 weeks	20 weeks
560-594	—	14 weeks	18 weeks	22 weeks
595-629	—	16 weeks	20 weeks	24 weeks
630-664	—	18 weeks	22 weeks	26 weeks
665-699	—	20 weeks	24 weeks	28 weeks
700-734	14 weeks	22 weeks	26 weeks	30 weeks
910-944	22 weeks	28 weeks	34 weeks	38 weeks
1,120-1,154	30 weeks	34 weeks	40 weeks	44 weeks
1,820+	36 weeks	40 weeks	44 weeks	45 weeks

How Much You’ll Receive

EI pays 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings, up to the maximum:

Previous Annual Salary	Weekly Benefit	Monthly Benefit
$30,000	$317	$1,374
$40,000	$423	$1,833
$50,000	$529	$2,292
$60,000	$635	$2,752
$65,700+	$695 (max)	$3,012 (max)

Best Weeks Calculation

Your benefit rate is based on your best weeks of earnings during the qualifying period:

Regional Unemployment Rate	Number of Best Weeks Used
6% and under	22 best weeks
6.1% - 8%	20 best weeks
8.1% - 10%	18 best weeks
10.1% - 12%	16 best weeks
12.1% - 13%	15 best weeks
Over 13%	14 best weeks

Maternity and Parental Benefits

Maternity Benefits

Feature	Details
Who qualifies	Biological mothers (including surrogates)
Duration	15 weeks
Earliest start	12 weeks before expected due date
Latest start	Week of birth
Payment rate	55% of earnings (max $695/week)
Hours required	600 insurable hours

Parental Benefits (Two Options)

Feature	Standard Parental	Extended Parental
Total weeks (shared)	40 weeks	69 weeks
Max per parent	35 weeks	61 weeks
Payment rate	55%	33%
Max weekly benefit	$695	$418
Total max payout	~$24,300	~$24,300

Note: Total maximum payout is roughly the same for both options — extended just spreads it thinner.

Combined Maternity + Parental Example

Scenario	Duration	Weekly Benefit	Total Benefits
Maternity + Standard Parental	15 + 35 = 50 weeks	$695 (max)	~$34,750
Maternity + Extended Parental	15 + 61 = 76 weeks	$695 then $418	~$35,800

How to Apply

Step-by-Step

Step	Action	Timeline
1	Get your Record of Employment (ROE) from employer	Employer has 5 days to issue
2	Apply online at canada.ca/ei	As soon as you stop working
3	Complete the application form	Takes 30-60 minutes
4	Wait for processing	28 days standard
5	Serve the 1-week waiting period	First week unpaid
6	Start receiving payments	Direct deposit every 2 weeks
7	Complete bi-weekly reports	Every 2 weeks (online or phone)

Documents You’ll Need

Document	Required For
Social Insurance Number (SIN)	All applications
Record of Employment (ROE)	All applications
Bank info (direct deposit)	Receiving payments
Medical certificate	Sickness benefits
Expected/actual date of birth	Maternity/parental

Working While on EI

Earning Threshold	What Happens
First 25% of weekly benefit (or $50, whichever is higher)	Keep 100% of earnings + EI
Earnings above threshold	EI reduced dollar-for-dollar
Earn more than benefit amount	No EI for that week

Example: If your weekly benefit is $400:

Earn up to $100 → Keep $400 EI + $100 = $500 total
Earn $200 → EI reduced to $300 → Total $500
Earn $400+ → No EI that week

EI Repayment (Clawback)

If your net income exceeds $79,000 in the year, you must repay some EI benefits:

Net Income	Repayment Rate
Under $79,000	No repayment
$79,000-$90,000	30% of benefits or 30% of income over $79,000
Over $90,000	30% of all EI received
First-time claimant	Exempt from clawback

EI vs. Severance

Scenario	Effect on EI
Lump-sum severance	EI delayed until severance period ends
Salary continuance	EI not payable during salary continuance
Vacation pay	EI delayed for the period covered
Pension income	May reduce EI dollar-for-dollar
RRSP withdrawal	No effect on EI

Key Takeaways

EI pays 55% of your earnings up to $695/week ($3,015/month) — plan for a significant income drop
You need 420-700 insurable hours depending on your region’s unemployment rate
Benefits last 14-45 weeks — the higher your hours and local unemployment, the longer you’re covered
Apply immediately when you stop working — processing takes 28 days, plus a 1-week unpaid waiting period
Maternity + parental can provide up to 76 weeks of income replacement
You can work part-time on EI and keep 25% of your benefit or $50 before deductions start
Build an emergency fund of 3-6 months’ expenses — EI alone isn’t enough to maintain most lifestyles

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Employment Insurance (EI) Guide: Benefits, Eligibility & How to Apply (2026)

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