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Employment Insurance (EI) program statistics

  • First-time recipients
    2,880
  • Active recipients
    1,146,400
  • Gross benefit paid to recipients since April 1, 2026
    0.23 billion

All data is updated weekly and is current as of April 5, 2026

Notes
  • First-time recipients are individuals receiving an EI payment for the first time since April 1, 2026.
  • Active recipients are individuals currently receiving EI payments
  • Total gross benefit dollars are cumulative since April 1, 2026

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List of tables

Application processing statistics

Table 1: EI application processing statistics
Employment Insurance (EI) program Week starting on March 30, 2026 Cumulative from April 1, 2026
Registered applications 54,730 54,730
Processed applications 50,300 50,300
Claims established (approved applications) 25,030 25,030
Recipients Not applicable 394,900
Notes for table 1
  • A registered application removes unnecessary duplicate requests for EI benefits that some individuals submit. It represents actual requests for EI benefits and initiates the process of determining EI eligibility and entitlement
  • A processed application represents the adjudication of a registered application that results in an initial decision. Every registered application will be adjudicated; however, high volumes can cause a processing backlog where an application registered in one week may not be processed until a subsequent week
  • A claim established is a processed application with a decision to pay the claim as it met the criteria of the EI program. As not all processed applications meet the EI program criteria, the number of claims established will be less than the number of processed applications
  • A recipient is someone who receives at least one payment. To receive EI payments, a recipient must file their bi-weekly report. Each bi-weekly filing enables up to two weeks of EI payments in arrears depending on the content of the filing. An individual who never files their bi-weekly report will not receive a payment and therefore will not become a recipient. As payments are two weeks in arrears, the last completed EI week will never show any recipients
  • This data is operational in nature and will fluctuate over time. For any given week, the number of registered applications and processed applications will not be equal due to timing and volume
  • Cumulative totals are as of April 1, 2026
  • All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10

EI benefits statistics by type

Table 2: EI benefits – Number of recipients by benefit type
EI benefits Active recipients Cumulative recipients since April 1, 2026
Regular 784,400 248,830
Sickness 131,810 38,140
Fishing 16,530 7,740
Maternity and parental 205,160 93,960
Caregiving 8,050 2,250
Self employed 1,160 390
Total 1,146,400 394,900
Notes for table 2
  • A recipient is someone who receives at least one payment
  • Recipients can receive more than one type of benefit. For example, a recipient who is receiving EI maternity benefits can change to receive EI caregiving benefits. Regardless of which benefit type a recipient receives, they are only eligible to receive one benefit type per week
  • Active recipients represent individuals currently receiving EI payments
  • Cumulative recipients from April 1 represent individuals who started receiving EI payments since the beginning of the fiscal year
  • All values are rounded to the nearest 10 and are recalculated every week. Rounding may cause a small difference between the total and the sum of individual values
Table 3: EI benefits – Gross benefit paid to recipients by benefit type (millions)
EI benefits Gross benefit paid to active recipients Cumulative benefit paid to recipients since April 1, 2026
Regular 6,827.26 146.34
Sickness 964.06 21.53
Fishing 185.34 5.04
Maternity and parental 3,114.04 52.36
Caregiving 55.27 1.34
Self employed 11.99 0.19
Total 11,157.96 228.97
Notes for table 3
  • Gross benefit paid (millions) represents the amount paid, before tax. EI deducts tax at source for all EI benefits. Rounding may cause a small difference between the total and the sum of individual values
  • Active recipients represent individuals currently receiving EI payments and gross benefit paid to active recipients represent the total amount paid to them
  • Cumulative benefit paid to recipients since April 1 represent the amount of EI paid to recipients this fiscal year
  • A recipient is someone who receives at least one payment

EI recipients statistics

Active recipients by province or territory and age group

Table 4: EI active recipients by province or territory and age group – Number of active recipients
Provinces and territories Under 25 25 - 34 Years 35 - 44 Years 45 - 54 Years 55 - 64 Years 65 and Older Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 4,140 8,350 8,570 10,380 15,120 6,970 53,520
Prince Edward Island 1,770 3,220 2,560 2,440 3,120 2,000 15,110
Nova Scotia 3,790 11,910 9,280 7,540 9,150 4,000 45,670
New Brunswick 4,390 11,530 10,260 10,180 12,880 5,270 54,520
Quebec 18,090 53,990 57,250 49,980 54,840 21,270 255,430
Ontario 30,160 140,800 96,120 54,350 54,860 17,310 393,580
Manitoba 4,110 13,140 9,150 5,870 5,300 1,750 39,310
Saskatchewan 3,360 10,090 6,910 4,020 3,690 1,750 29,820
Alberta 13,220 45,440 32,560 17,650 14,800 4,940 128,600
British Columbia 9,080 43,210 33,460 17,730 17,240 6,160 126,880
Yukon 130 450 400 150 150 70 1,350
Northwest Territories 100 410 310 160 130 50 1,160
Nunavut 80 180 150 90 60 20 580
Not Applicable 70 490 270 40 20 20 910
Total 92,480 343,200 267,240 180,570 191,370 71,580 1,146,400

Notes for tables 4 to 11

Table 5: EI active recipients by province or territory and age group – Percentage of active recipients
Provinces and territories Under 25 25 - 34 Years 35 - 44 Years 45 - 54 Years 55 - 64 Years 65 and Older Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 7.7% 15.6% 16.0% 19.4% 28.3% 13.0% 4.7%
Prince Edward Island 11.7% 21.3% 16.9% 16.1% 20.7% 13.3% 1.3%
Nova Scotia 8.3% 26.1% 20.3% 16.5% 20.0% 8.7% 4.0%
New Brunswick 8.1% 21.2% 18.8% 18.7% 23.6% 9.7% 4.8%
Quebec 7.1% 21.1% 22.4% 19.6% 21.5% 8.3% 22.3%
Ontario 7.7% 35.8% 24.4% 13.8% 13.9% 4.4% 34.3%
Manitoba 10.4% 33.4% 23.3% 14.9% 13.5% 4.4% 3.4%
Saskatchewan 11.3% 33.8% 23.2% 13.5% 12.4% 5.9% 2.6%
Alberta 10.3% 35.3% 25.3% 13.7% 11.5% 3.8% 11.2%
British Columbia 7.2% 34.1% 26.4% 14.0% 13.6% 4.9% 11.1%
Yukon 9.8% 33.2% 29.4% 11.2% 11.1% 5.3% 0.1%
Northwest Territories 8.8% 35.4% 26.9% 13.5% 11.6% 3.9% 0.1%
Nunavut 12.9% 30.9% 26.2% 15.9% 10.7% 3.4% 0.1%
Not Applicable 7.4% 53.6% 29.9% 4.7% 2.2% 2.2% 0.1%
Total 8.1% 29.9% 23.3% 15.8% 16.7% 6.2% 100.0%

Notes for tables 4 to 11

Table 6: EI gross benefit paid to active recipients by province or territory and age group – Gross benefit paid (millions)
Provinces and territories Under 25 25 - 34 Years 35 - 44 Years 45 - 54 Years 55 - 64 Years 65 and Older Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 38.61 92.44 85.71 100.28 147.80 72.48 537.31
Prince Edward Island 17.18 36.31 27.09 24.56 30.56 20.37 156.08
Nova Scotia 29.61 128.38 91.96 66.39 79.27 35.66 431.27
New Brunswick 36.99 120.78 93.94 86.68 112.92 49.61 500.93
Quebec 118.41 400.20 432.29 382.21 434.60 172.67 1,940.38
Ontario 237.76 1,674.72 1,072.47 487.55 485.78 147.52 4,105.79
Manitoba 33.38 146.89 92.24 47.14 43.29 15.34 378.29
Saskatchewan 28.76 124.01 75.21 38.33 35.95 17.10 319.36
Alberta 108.48 546.57 370.06 177.64 151.11 50.15 1,404.01
British Columbia 73.09 517.76 374.56 161.35 156.58 56.65 1,339.99
Yukon 1.27 5.95 4.93 1.62 1.74 0.77 16.27
Northwest Territories 1.07 5.22 4.05 1.89 1.55 0.50 14.29
Nunavut 0.86 2.39 1.90 1.06 0.70 0.17 7.07
Not Applicable 0.41 3.75 2.26 0.37 0.09 0.04 6.93
Total 725.89 3,805.35 2,728.66 1,577.08 1,681.94 639.04 11,157.96

Notes for tables 4 to 11

Table 7: EI gross benefit paid to active recipients by province or territory and age group – Percentage of gross benefit
Provinces and territories Under 25 25 - 34 Years 35 - 44 Years 45 - 54 Years 55 - 64 Years 65 and Older Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 7.2% 17.2% 16.0% 18.7% 27.5% 13.5% 4.8%
Prince Edward Island 11.0% 23.3% 17.4% 15.7% 19.6% 13.1% 1.4%
Nova Scotia 6.9% 29.8% 21.3% 15.4% 18.4% 8.3% 3.9%
New Brunswick 7.4% 24.1% 18.8% 17.3% 22.5% 9.9% 4.5%
Quebec 6.1% 20.6% 22.3% 19.7% 22.4% 8.9% 17.4%
Ontario 5.8% 40.8% 26.1% 11.9% 11.8% 3.6% 36.8%
Manitoba 8.8% 38.8% 24.4% 12.5% 11.4% 4.1% 3.4%
Saskatchewan 9.0% 38.8% 23.6% 12.0% 11.3% 5.4% 2.9%
Alberta 7.7% 38.9% 26.4% 12.7% 10.8% 3.6% 12.6%
British Columbia 5.5% 38.6% 28.0% 12.0% 11.7% 4.2% 12.0%
Yukon 7.8% 36.5% 30.3% 9.9% 10.7% 4.7% 0.1%
Northwest Territories 7.5% 36.5% 28.3% 13.3% 10.8% 3.5% 0.1%
Nunavut 12.1% 33.8% 26.9% 15.0% 9.8% 2.4% 0.1%
Not Applicable 5.9% 54.2% 32.6% 5.4% 1.4% 0.6% 0.1%
Total 6.5% 34.1% 24.5% 14.1% 15.1% 5.7% 100.0%

Notes for tables 4 to 11

Active recipients by province or territory and gender

Table 8: EI active recipients by province or territory and gender – Number of active recipients
Provinces and territories Female gender Male gender Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 21,090 32,430 53,520
Prince Edward Island 6,200 8,910 15,110
Nova Scotia 19,150 26,520 45,670
New Brunswick 22,470 32,040 54,520
Quebec 82,580 172,850 255,430
Ontario 201,270 192,320 393,580
Manitoba 18,450 20,870 39,310
Saskatchewan 13,880 15,940 29,820
Alberta 61,410 67,190 128,600
British Columbia 68,870 58,010 126,880
Yukon 650 700 1,350
Northwest Territories 560 600 1,160
Nunavut 280 300 580
Not Applicable 140 740 880
Total 516,980 629,420 1,146,400

Notes for tables 4 to 11

Table 9: EI active recipients by province or territory and gender – Percentage of active recipients
Provinces and territories Female gender Male gender Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 39.4% 60.6% 4.7%
Prince Edward Island 41.0% 59.0% 1.3%
Nova Scotia 41.9% 58.1% 4.0%
New Brunswick 41.2% 58.8% 4.8%
Quebec 32.3% 67.7% 22.3%
Ontario 51.1% 48.9% 34.3%
Manitoba 46.9% 53.1% 3.4%
Saskatchewan 46.6% 53.4% 2.6%
Alberta 47.8% 52.2% 11.2%
British Columbia 54.3% 45.7% 11.1%
Yukon 48.0% 52.0% 0.1%
Northwest Territories 47.9% 52.1% 0.1%
Nunavut 48.2% 51.8% 0.1%
Not Applicable 15.7% 84.3% 0.1%
Total 45.1% 54.9% 100.0%

Notes for tables 4 to 11

Table 10: EI gross benefit paid to active recipients by province or territory and gender – Gross benefit paid (millions)
Provinces and territories Female gender Male gender Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 217.47 319.83 537.31
Prince Edward Island 65.35 90.73 156.08
Nova Scotia 198.16 233.11 431.27
New Brunswick 207.94 292.99 500.93
Quebec 630.34 1,310.03 1,940.38
Ontario 2,424.89 1,680.91 4,105.79
Manitoba 206.09 172.19 378.29
Saskatchewan 171.49 147.87 319.36
Alberta 769.40 634.61 1,404.01
British Columbia 820.27 519.72 1,339.99
Yukon 9.35 6.93 16.27
Northwest Territories 7.91 6.38 14.29
Nunavut 3.96 3.11 7.07
Not Applicable 2.22 4.71 6.93
Total 5,734.84 5,423.13 11,157.96

Notes for tables 4 to 11

Table 11: EI gross benefit paid to active recipients by province or territory and gender – Percentage of gross benefit
Provinces and territories Female gender Male gender Total
Newfoundland and Labrador 40.5% 59.5% 4.8%
Prince Edward Island 41.9% 58.1% 1.4%
Nova Scotia 45.9% 54.1% 3.9%
New Brunswick 41.5% 58.5% 4.5%
Quebec 32.5% 67.5% 17.4%
Ontario 59.1% 40.9% 36.8%
Manitoba 54.5% 45.5% 3.4%
Saskatchewan 53.7% 46.3% 2.9%
Alberta 54.8% 45.2% 12.6%
British Columbia 61.2% 38.8% 12.0%
Yukon 57.4% 42.6% 0.1%
Northwest Territories 55.3% 44.7% 0.1%
Nunavut 56.0% 44.0% 0.1%
Not Applicable 32.0% 68.0% 0.1%
Total 51.4% 48.6% 100.0%
Notes for tables 4 to 11
  • A recipient is someone who receives at least one payment
  • All values for number of recipients are rounded to the nearest 10. Rounding may cause a small difference between the total and the sum of the active recipient values
  • Gross benefit paid (millions) represents the gross amount of benefits paid, before tax. EI deducts tax at source for all EI benefits. Rounding may cause a small difference between the total and the sum of individual values
  • Not applicable is used when a recipient provides an address outside of Canada. While the EI program requires individuals to reside inside Canada to qualify, some individuals may be currently out of the country on a temporary basis, or working in Canada on a temporary basis. For example:
    • a student who is temporarily abroad
    • someone temporarily working abroad, or
    • temporary worker who has fallen ill but their home address is in another country

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2026-01-29