Employment Insurance, explained in plain English
Employment Insurance (EI) is Canada's federal income-replacement program for workers who lose a job through no fault of their own — and, through its special benefits, for workers who must stop working because of illness, a new child, or a seriously ill family member. If you qualify, EI pays a weekly benefit while you look for work or deal with the life event, for a limited number of weeks. For 2025, the benefit is 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings, up to a maximum of $695 per week; for 2026, the maximum rises to $729 per week.
Two things make EI different from a flat payment. First, how many hours you need — and how many weeks you get — depends on the unemployment rate in your EI economic region: where jobs are scarce, fewer hours qualify you and benefits last longer. Second, the program is insurance, not a grant: you qualify because you (or, for the self-employed, your agreement) paid premiums on insurable earnings, and the amount you receive is tied to what you earned. This site explains, step by step, who qualifies, the published hours and weeks tables, how your weekly amount is worked out, and how to apply — with every figure dated, so you can check it against Service Canada's official pages.
- The basic formula: 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings, worked out from your best 14 to 22 weeks in the last 52 weeks.
- Maximum weekly benefit: $695 in 2025 (maximum insurable earnings $65,700); $729 in 2026 (maximum insurable earnings $68,900).
- Hours needed: 420 to 700, depending on your region's unemployment rate — 700 where unemployment is 6% or less, 420 where it is above 13%.
- Weeks payable: 14 to 45, depending on your hours and your region's rate. Your benefit period lasts 52 weeks.
- A 1-week waiting period applies to most claims, and you must apply within 4 weeks of your last day of work — late claims can lose weeks.
- Special benefits have their own maxima: maternity 15 weeks, standard parental 35 (40 if shared), extended parental 61 (69 if shared), sickness 26, compassionate care 26, family caregiver 35 for a child or 15 for an adult.
Start here: the five questions everyone asks
How much will I get? 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings, up to the annual maximum. See how your benefit is calculated and maximum amounts.
Do I have enough hours? It depends on your region's unemployment rate — from 700 hours down to 420. See hours and weeks.
Can I work part-time while on EI? Yes — 50 cents is deducted for each dollar you earn, up to 90% of your weekly earnings. See working while on claim.
What if I am sick, pregnant, or caring for someone? Special benefits cover those situations with their own week limits. See sickness, maternity and parental and caregiver benefits.
How do I apply? Online through Service Canada, as soon as you stop working — even before you have your Record of Employment. See applying and appeals.
A note on the figures in these guides
EI maximums change every January 1, because the maximum insurable earnings are adjusted annually. Every rates page on this site states the year its figures apply to and tells you to check the current figure with Service Canada before acting. The main tables here are for 2025 and 2026, the two years Service Canada has published. Figures for 2027 that appear in secondary sources are given only as a short, clearly labelled note — never as a full table — because they should be confirmed against the official announcement.
Regional unemployment rates also change monthly, and the rate that matters is the one in force when your claim starts: it is locked in for the life of the claim. Where a guide depends on your region, it says so and points you to Service Canada's regional rate table.
These guides are general information only. They are not personal legal, tax, or benefits advice, and they do not replace the Employment Insurance Act, its regulations, or Service Canada's official pages. Quebec residents should note that maternity and parental benefits in Quebec are paid under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), not federal EI — see the self-employed guide and the parental guide for the distinction.
All ten guides
- EI explained — what EI is, regular vs special benefits, and who pays the premiums
- Maximum amounts — the 2025 and 2026 maxima, insurable earnings, and premiums
- How your benefit is calculated — the 55% formula, the divisor, and worked examples
- Hours and weeks — the hours table, the weeks table, and the 52-week benefit period
- Who qualifies — insurable employment, just cause, availability, and the Record of Employment
- Working while on claim — the 50-cent rule, the 90% threshold, and reporting earnings
- Sickness, maternity and parental — durations, standard vs extended parental, and sharing rules
- Caregiver benefits — compassionate care and family caregiver benefits
- Self-employed workers — opting in, the 12-month rule, and the minimum earnings
- Applying and appeals — the 4-week deadline, the waiting period, reports, reconsideration, and overpayments
Sources to check: Service Canada, Employment Insurance (canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei); Employment Insurance Act, ss. 7, 10, 12 and Schedule I; Canada.ca, Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles.