Unemployment benefits in Canada
If you become unemployed in Canada through no fault of your own, you may qualify for unemployment benefits. Find out how much you can get from the government.
The Government of Canada understands that not working can lead to financial hardship, so it offers Employment Insurance (EI) payments — temporary financial assistance — to those who qualify. Simply put — unemployment benefits.
The benefit partially compensates for the income you lost. The period for which you can receive help varies from 14 to 45 weeks. This depends on the unemployment rate in your area and the number of insurance hours you have worked during the last year.
In which cases you may qualify for an allowance:
- at your previous job had insurance;
- you lost your job through no fault of your own (for example, you were fired for no reason, or you quit because of harassment, a toxic work environment, etc.)
- you have not worked or been paid for 7 consecutive days in the past year;
- you have worked the required number of insurance hours (420-700 hours* in the last year, depending on the region);
- you are willing and able to work full-time;
- you're actively looking for work.
*Due to the pandemic, from September 26, 2021 to September 24, 2022, there is a requirement to work 420 hours.
Read also: Social security benefits, allowances and entitlements for immigrants in Canada
In which cases you will not receive a benefit:
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