Employment Insurance: the official figures for 2026
These are all the figures of the ei block of the data file: 21 loose figures and five tables with 85 rows, each with the statute it comes from, when it took effect and how far it has been verified.
Updated · Figures verified against the statutes of each jurisdiction · see all figures and their sources · what's new
It is part of official figures, the full registry of the site. The raw data is in legal-data-2026.json. If you find a figure that is wrong, tell us.
What this block holds
Employment Insurance (EI) is the same across Canada because it comes from federal law: the Employment Insurance Act, the Employment Insurance Regulations and the yearly notices on earnings and premiums. They answer three questions: whether you qualify, how much you'd be paid each week and for how many weeks.
Section 7 sets the insurable hours you need, section 8 the 52-week window they are counted in, section 10 the benefit period, section 13 the one-week waiting period, section 14 the 55% benefit rate and the number of best weeks, section 16 the family supplement, section 29 the circumstances that count as just cause for quitting, and Schedule I the weeks of benefits. The Regulations add the record of employment (ROE) deadlines in section 19 and the family supplement income limit in section 34.
Only a few rows change every year: the maximum insurable earnings of $68,900.00, the weekly maximum of $729.00 and the premium rates, all valid from 2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31. The rest is written into the Act or the Regulations and changes only when they are amended. Two temporary measures are flagged in the notes: one waives the waiting period for benefit periods that begin on or before October 9, 2027, and one can add 20 weeks for long-tenured workers whose benefit period begins on or before June 12, 2027.
How to read the table
The loose figures use the same five columns as the rest of the registry, from Figure to Status. Most are Verified, read in the Act, the Regulations or the official notice for 2026. One is not: the advice to apply within four weeks of your last day comes from the government's guide on how to apply rather than from a statute, so it's marked Secondary source. A Not yet verified figure wouldn't be used as a firm number anywhere else.
The row tables are where the regional rate of unemployment does its work. Find your region's rate in the hours table and it gives the hours you need: 700 hours at 6% or under, falling by 35 hours for each point, to 420 above 13%. The best-weeks table does the same for the number of weeks averaged, from 22 down to 14. Schedule I then crosses your hours with the rate band: the row for 700 to 734 hours reads from 14 weeks in the lowest band to 36 in the highest. None of this is your claim. Your hours, your insurable earnings and your region's current rate settle that.
Where the site uses these figures
The EI guide and the EI calculator read every parameter here, and the regional unemployment rates by EI region supply the input the hours and best-weeks tables need. Topic pages cover how many hours you need, how many weeks EI lasts, how much EI pays, the waiting period and your first payment, record of employment deadlines and EI after quitting or being fired for misconduct, which covers section 29.
Status: Verified = read in the primary source; Secondary source = worked out by us from official figures, arithmetic shown; Not yet verified = not confirmed in the primary source, and so not published as a firm figure on any other page. The detail is in rule three of the methodology.
Employment Insurance ei
| Figure | Value | Source | Validity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular benefits are paid at 55% of average weekly insurable earnings, up to the weekly maximum.parameters.benefit_rate_percent | 55% | Employment Insurance Act, s. 14 - Rate of weekly benefits and best weeks | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
Earnings above this ceiling are neither insured nor counted when the weekly benefit is worked out. The ceiling was $65,700 in 2025.parameters.max_insurable_earnings | $68,900.00 per year | Employment Insurance - Important notice about maximum insurable earnings for 2026 | 2026-01-01 – 2026-12-31 | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The most any claimant can be paid in a week of regular benefits in 2026, before the family supplement. It was $695 in 2025.parameters.max_weekly_benefit | $729.00 per week | Employment Insurance - Important notice about maximum insurable earnings for 2026 | 2026-01-01 – 2026-12-31 | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
One unpaid week at the start of a claim, like a deductible. A temporary measure waives it for benefit periods that begin on or before October 9, 2027: see ei.parameters.temporary_measures.waiting_period_waived.parameters.waiting_period | 1 week | Employment Insurance Act, s. 13 - Waiting period | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The window whose insurable hours are counted: normally the 52 weeks before the claim, or the time since the last claim, whichever is shorter.parameters.qualifying_period | 52 weeks | Employment Insurance Act, s. 8 - Qualifying period | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The lowest requirement anywhere in Canada: 420 insurable hours, in a region where unemployment is above 13%.parameters.hours_min | 420 hours | Employment Insurance Act, s. 7 - Qualification requirement (hours by regional rate) | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The highest requirement: 700 insurable hours, in a region where unemployment is 6% or under.parameters.hours_max | 700 hours | Employment Insurance Act, s. 7 - Qualification requirement (hours by regional rate) | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The shortest run of regular benefits Schedule I produces: 14 weeks, for someone with just enough hours in a region at 6% unemployment or under.parameters.weeks_min | 14 weeks | Employment Insurance Act, Schedule I - Table of Weeks of Benefits | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The longest run of regular benefits Schedule I produces. A temporary measure can add 20 weeks on top of it for long-tenured workers until June 12, 2027.parameters.weeks_max | 45 weeks | Employment Insurance Act, Schedule I - Table of Weeks of Benefits | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
In the regions with the highest unemployment, the weekly benefit is worked out over the 14 best-paid weeks.parameters.best_weeks_min | 14 | Employment Insurance Act, s. 14 - Rate of weekly benefits and best weeks | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
In the regions with the lowest unemployment, the weekly benefit is worked out over the 22 best-paid weeks, so weak weeks drag the average down further.parameters.best_weeks_max | 22 | Employment Insurance Act, s. 14 - Rate of weekly benefits and best weeks | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
$1.63 for every $100 of insurable earnings, outside Quebec. Employers pay 1.4 times that, $2.28 per $100.parameters.premium_rate_employee | 1.63% | Canada Employment Insurance Commission sets the 2026 Employment Insurance premium rate | 2026-01-01 – 2026-12-31 | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
Workers in Quebec pay a lower EI rate, $1.30 per $100, because the province runs its own parental insurance plan; their maximum for 2026 is $895.70, and their employers pay $1.82 per $100.parameters.premium_rate_quebec | 1.3% | Canada Employment Insurance Commission sets the 2026 Employment Insurance premium rate | 2026-01-01 – 2026-12-31 | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The most an employee outside Quebec pays in EI premiums in 2026, once earnings reach the ceiling.parameters.max_annual_premium_employee | $1,123.07 (1.63% × $68,900.00 per year, our own calculation) | Canada Employment Insurance Commission sets the 2026 Employment Insurance premium rate | 2026-01-01 – 2026-12-31 | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
A claimant with children in a low-income family can be paid up to 80% of average weekly insurable earnings instead of 55% - still capped at the weekly maximum.parameters.family_supplement_max_percent | 80% | Employment Insurance Act, s. 16 - Rate increase, family supplement | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
Net family income limit for the family supplement. Above it there is no supplement; the closer the income is to it, the smaller the supplement.parameters.family_supplement_income_ceiling | $25,921.00 | Employment Insurance Regulations, s. 34 - Family supplement, rate increase | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
Apply within four weeks of the last day worked. Applying later can cost weeks of benefits, and waiting for a record of employment or for severance to run out is not a reason to delay.parameters.apply_within | 4 weeks | EI regular benefits: how to apply | — | Secondary source Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
Paper record of employment: five days, counted from the later of the first day without earnings and the day the employer became aware of it.parameters.roe_deadline.paper_days | 5 days | Employment Insurance Regulations, s. 19 - Record of employment | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
Electronic record of employment: five days after the end of the pay period in which the job ended.parameters.roe_deadline.electronic_days_after_pay_period | 5 days | Employment Insurance Regulations, s. 19 - Record of employment | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
Where the employer pays monthly or less often (13 or fewer pay periods a year), the electronic record is due 15 days after the first day without earnings, if that comes first.parameters.roe_deadline.electronic_days_infrequent_payroll | 15 days | Employment Insurance Regulations, s. 19 - Record of employment | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
The window in which the weeks of benefits must be drawn: 52 weeks from the Sunday of the week the job ended or the week the claim was made, whichever is later. It is not the number of weeks payable - that comes from Schedule I - and unused weeks are lost when it closes.parameters.benefit_period_length | 52 weeks | Employment Insurance Act, s. 10 - Benefit period and late initial claims | — | Verified Reviewed 2026-09-05 |
| Paragraph | Text |
|---|---|
| 29(c)(i) | sexual or other harassment |
| 29(c)(ii) | having to move with a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child to another residence |
| 29(c)(iii) | discrimination on a prohibited ground under the Canadian Human Rights Act |
| 29(c)(iv) | working conditions that are a danger to health or safety |
| 29(c)(v) | having to care for a child or a member of the immediate family |
| 29(c)(vi) | reasonable assurance of another job in the immediate future |
| 29(c)(vii) | a significant change to the terms about wages or salary |
| 29(c)(viii) | excessive overtime, or the employer refusing to pay for overtime |
| 29(c)(ix) | significant changes in work duties |
| 29(c)(x) | antagonism with a supervisor, where the claimant is not mainly responsible for it |
| 29(c)(xi) | employer practices that are contrary to law |
| 29(c)(xii) | discrimination in employment because of membership in a workers' association, organization or union |
| 29(c)(xiii) | undue pressure from the employer to leave the job |
| 29(c)(xiv) | any other reasonable circumstances that are prescribed |
Source: Employment Insurance Act, s. 29 - Just cause for voluntarily leaving. Reviewed on September 5, 2026.
| Rate from | Rate to | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 6 | 700 hours |
| 6 | 7 | 665 hours |
| 7 | 8 | 630 hours |
| 8 | 9 | 595 hours |
| 9 | 10 | 560 hours |
| 10 | 11 | 525 hours |
| 11 | 12 | 490 hours |
| 12 | 13 | 455 hours |
| 13 | — | 420 hours |
Source: Employment Insurance Act, s. 7 - Qualification requirement (hours by regional rate). Reviewed on September 5, 2026.
| Rate from | Rate to | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 6 | 22 weeks |
| 6 | 7 | 21 weeks |
| 7 | 8 | 20 weeks |
| 8 | 9 | 19 weeks |
| 9 | 10 | 18 weeks |
| 10 | 11 | 17 weeks |
| 11 | 12 | 16 weeks |
| 12 | 13 | 15 weeks |
| 13 | — | 14 weeks |
Source: Employment Insurance Act, s. 14 - Rate of weekly benefits and best weeks. Reviewed on September 5, 2026.
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 0 | 6 |
| 6 | 7 |
| 7 | 8 |
| 8 | 9 |
| 9 | 10 |
| 10 | 11 |
| 11 | 12 |
| 12 | 13 |
| 13 | 14 |
| 14 | 15 |
| 15 | 16 |
| 16 | — |
Source: Employment Insurance Act, Schedule I - Table of Weeks of Benefits. Reviewed on September 5, 2026.
| Hours from | Hours to | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 420 hours | 454 hours | null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, 26, 28, 30 and 32 weeks |
| 455 hours | 489 hours | null, null, null, null, null, null, null, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 weeks |
| 490 hours | 524 hours | null, null, null, null, null, null, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33 weeks |
| 525 hours | 559 hours | null, null, null, null, null, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33 weeks |
| 560 hours | 594 hours | null, null, null, null, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 weeks |
| 595 hours | 629 hours | null, null, null, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 weeks |
| 630 hours | 664 hours | null, null, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35 weeks |
| 665 hours | 699 hours | null, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35 weeks |
| 700 hours | 734 hours | 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 weeks |
| 735 hours | 769 hours | 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 weeks |
| 770 hours | 804 hours | 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35 and 37 weeks |
| 805 hours | 839 hours | 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35 and 37 weeks |
| 840 hours | 874 hours | 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 weeks |
| 875 hours | 909 hours | 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 weeks |
| 910 hours | 944 hours | 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37 and 39 weeks |
| 945 hours | 979 hours | 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37 and 39 weeks |
| 980 hours | 1,014 hours | 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 weeks |
| 1,015 hours | 1,049 hours | 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 weeks |
| 1,050 hours | 1,084 hours | 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39 and 41 weeks |
| 1,085 hours | 1,119 hours | 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39 and 41 weeks |
| 1,120 hours | 1,154 hours | 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 weeks |
| 1,155 hours | 1,189 hours | 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 weeks |
| 1,190 hours | 1,224 hours | 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41 and 43 weeks |
| 1,225 hours | 1,259 hours | 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41 and 43 weeks |
| 1,260 hours | 1,294 hours | 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 weeks |
| 1,295 hours | 1,329 hours | 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 weeks |
| 1,330 hours | 1,364 hours | 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43 and 45 weeks |
| 1,365 hours | 1,399 hours | 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43 and 45 weeks |
| 1,400 hours | 1,434 hours | 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 and 45 weeks |
| 1,435 hours | 1,469 hours | 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,470 hours | 1,504 hours | 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,505 hours | 1,539 hours | 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,540 hours | 1,574 hours | 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,575 hours | 1,609 hours | 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,610 hours | 1,644 hours | 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,645 hours | 1,679 hours | 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,680 hours | 1,714 hours | 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,715 hours | 1,749 hours | 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,750 hours | 1,784 hours | 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,785 hours | 1,819 hours | 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
| 1,820 hours | — | 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45 and 45 weeks |
Source: Employment Insurance Act, Schedule I - Table of Weeks of Benefits. Reviewed on September 5, 2026.