Employment Insurance
Benefits Calculator
Calculate your weekly EI benefit using the official ESDC formula. Enter your insurable earnings, hours worked, and regional unemployment rate to find your benefit amount and duration.
Your EI details
Results are estimates using the official ESDC best-weeks formula — not a guarantee of benefit amount. Actual benefits depend on your Record of Employment and Service Canada processing. Always apply through My Service Canada Account. Terms →
How EI benefits are calculated
The Employment Insurance formula uses your best insurable weeks — not your total earnings.
EI pays 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum of $729/week in 2026. The maximum insurable earnings cap is $68,900 — if you earn $100,000/year, EI is still calculated on the first $68,900 only.
Service Canada takes your highest-earning weeks (14–22 depending on your region's unemployment rate) and divides to find your average weekly earnings. Higher regional unemployment = fewer best weeks used = higher benefit for part-year workers.
Duration is based on both insurable hours accumulated AND regional unemployment. More hours and higher regional unemployment mean more weeks of benefits, from a minimum of 14 weeks up to 45 weeks maximum.
Low-income families (net income under $25,921) with children who receive the Canada Child Benefit can receive a supplement that increases the replacement rate up to 80%. Only one spouse can claim the supplement if both receive EI simultaneously.
Frequently asked questions
How much EI will I receive?
Your weekly EI benefit = average insurable weekly earnings × 55%, capped at $729/week in 2026. Average weekly earnings = total earnings from your best weeks ÷ the number of best weeks (14–22 based on your region).
How many hours do I need for EI?
You need between 420 and 700 insurable hours in the 52 weeks before your claim, depending on your region's unemployment rate. Regions with higher unemployment require fewer hours.
When does EI start?
There is a 1-week unpaid waiting period before EI benefits begin. You can work during your EI claim — any earnings above 90% of your weekly benefit will reduce your payment, but under a Working While on Claim pilot, you keep 50 cents of every dollar earned up to 90% of your weekly benefit.
Is EI taxable?
Yes. EI benefits are taxable income. Service Canada withholds federal tax at a default rate, but you may owe more or receive a refund at tax time depending on your total income. You'll receive a T4E slip each year showing your total EI received and taxes withheld.
Related income calculators
See how EI fits into your overall income picture.
How EI regular benefits actually work
Employment Insurance regular benefits exist for one situation: you lost your job through no fault of your own — layoff, company closure, end of contract — and you're actively looking for new work. It's not the same program as maternity/parental EI, sickness benefits, or compassionate care benefits, even though they all run through the same EI system and share some rules.
The regional variable entrance requirement
Unlike maternity and parental benefits, which need a flat 600 insurable hours everywhere in Canada, regular EI benefits use a sliding scale based on the unemployment rate in your specific economic region. In a region with high unemployment, you need fewer hours to qualify (as few as 420) and you get more weeks of benefits. In a region with low unemployment, you need more hours (up to 700) and get fewer weeks. This is why two people who lost identical jobs in different parts of the country can end up with different EI entitlements.
Why your benefit isn't simply 55% of your last paycheque
Service Canada doesn't just take your most recent pay and multiply by 55%. It calculates your benefit using your "best weeks" — the highest-earning weeks within your qualifying period (the last 52 weeks, or since your last claim). The number of best weeks used ranges from 14 to 22 depending on your region's unemployment rate. This system protects people whose earnings fluctuated — someone who had a few slow weeks before being laid off isn't penalized for those weeks.
Severance pay and EI — a common point of confusion
If you received severance pay or a lump-sum termination payment, your EI benefits don't start the day you apply — they're deferred until the period covered by that severance has passed. For example, if you receive 8 weeks of severance pay, your EI clock effectively starts 8 weeks after your job ended, not immediately. This catches a lot of people off guard. Always apply for EI right away regardless — the deferral is calculated automatically, and waiting to apply only delays things further.