Unemployment Coverage: What Happens If You Lose Your Job
Employment Insurance (EI) is Canada's main income support if you lose your job — but it has real eligibility requirements and coverage gaps that are worth understanding before you need it.
Eligibility: Insurable Hours and Cause
To qualify for regular EI benefits, you need insurable employment (most jobs qualify, but most self-employment doesn't unless you've voluntarily opted into the program), enough insurable hours in your qualifying period — between 420 and 700 hours depending on your region's unemployment rate — and you must have lost your job through no fault of your own (voluntary resignation generally doesn't qualify).
How Much You Get and For How Long
EI pays 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, calculated from your best weeks in the qualifying period, up to a maximum weekly benefit ($729 per week for 2026, based on maximum insurable earnings of $68,900). Benefit duration ranges from 14 to 45 weeks, depending on your insurable hours and your region's unemployment rate.
Why an Emergency Fund Still Matters
EI replaces just over half your earnings, up to a cap — well below your full income for most earners — and most self-employed people aren't covered at all unless they opted in. See the emergency fund guide on this site: your own savings need to bridge both the replacement-rate gap and the processing time before EI payments start.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does EI pay if I lose my job?
- 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum of $729 per week for 2026, based on maximum insurable earnings of $68,900.
- How long can I receive EI benefits?
- Between 14 and 45 weeks, depending on your insurable hours worked and your region's unemployment rate at the time of your claim.
- Are self-employed workers covered by EI?
- Generally not, unless they've voluntarily opted into the EI program for self-employed workers. Most self-employment income isn't insurable by default.
- Does voluntarily quitting my job qualify me for EI?
- Generally no — regular EI benefits require that you lost your job through no fault of your own, such as a layoff, not a voluntary resignation.
- How can I check my likely EI benefit before I apply?
- Use the Unemployment Benefits Calculator on this site to check your insurable hours against your region's requirement and get a rough weekly benefit estimate before you file your claim.
Informational content, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Verify amounts, limits, and current conditions directly with official sources (CRA, CDIC, OSFI) before making a decision.
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