Temporary Employment Insurance measures to respond to major changes in economic conditions
Temporary Employment Insurance (EI) measures have been introduced to support workers in response to major changes in economic conditions. These measures will improve access to EI benefits.
On this page
- Waiving the waiting period
- Suspending the allocation of separation earnings
- Increasing the number of weeks of regular benefits for long-tenured workers
- Adjusting the unemployment rate in certain regions
- Contact us
Waiving the waiting period
After you apply and before you start receiving benefits, there is usually 1 week you won't be paid called the waiting period. It's like the deductible that you pay for other types of insurance.
Under the temporary measure, the waiting period is waived for all new claims for EI benefits that start between March 30, 2025 and April 11, 2026.
Note
You may serve the waiting period if it's to your advantage because of a top-up from a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) plan.
Suspending the allocation of separation earnings
Normally, earnings paid because of a temporary or permanent separation from employment are allocated from the week of the separation. Separation earnings can include:
- vacation pay
- pay in lieu of notice
- severance pay
- closure bonuses
- sick leave credits
Under the temporary measure, if your claim or the allocation starts between March 30, 2025 and April 11, 2026, earnings from separation are not deducted from your benefits.
Increasing the number of weeks of regular benefits for long-tenured workers
Under the temporary measure, you may receive 20 additional weeks of regular benefits, up to a maximum of 65 weeks, if you:
- have a claim that starts between June 15, 2025 and April 11, 2026
- have received at least 1 week of regular benefits
- are considered a long-tenured worker
To be considered a long-tenured worker, you must have:
- received fewer than 36 weeks of regular or fishing benefits in the 3 years before the start of your claim
- paid at least 30% of the annual maximum EI premiums for at least 7 of the 10 years before the year your claim starts
If you qualify for these additional weeks, they will be automatically added to your claim, and the period during which you can receive benefits will also be extended by 20 weeks.
Adjusting the unemployment rate in certain regions
The number of hours needed to qualify for regular benefits depends on the unemployment rate in the region where you usually live. For fishing benefits, the required earnings vary based on your region's unemployment rate.
To improve access to benefits, a temporary measure will adjust the unemployment rate for regions with rates under 13.1%. This applies to claims starting between April 6, 2025 and October 11, 2025.
How the unemployment rate is adjusted
For regions with an actual unemployment rate of:
- 6.1% or less, the rate is set at 7.1%
- 6.2% to 12%, 1% is added to the rate
- 12.1% to 13%, the rate is set at 13.1%
- 13.1% or higher, there is no change to the rate
Look up EI Economic Region by Postal Code to find out the unemployment rate in your region.
Qualifying under the temporary measure
The following table shows the minimum requirements to qualify for EI regular and fishing benefits under the temporary measure:
| Adjusted unemployment rate |
Regular benefits (hours needed) |
Fishing benefits (earnings needed) |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1% | 630 hours | $3,800 |
| 7.2% to 13% | 455 to 630 hours | $2,700 to $3,800 |
| 13.1% or higher | 420 hours | $2,500 |
If you have violations on your EI file, you may still need more hours of insurable employment or insurable earnings to qualify.
Contact us
For more information about these temporary EI measures, contact us.