EI Benefits Calculator Canada 2026
Use this EI benefits calculator Canada to estimate your Employment Insurance regular benefits in 2026 — your weekly payment at 55% of earnings, and how many weeks you could receive based on your hours and your region.
Last updated: July 2026 · Service Canada · 2026 EI rates
Your gross weekly pay from your best weeks. If you know your annual salary instead, divide it by 52 — a $70,000 salary is about $1,346 a week.
Full-time is roughly 1,800–2,000 hours a year. You generally need at least 420–700 hours depending on your region.
This changes monthly by economic region. Look up your region’s current rate on Service Canada’s EI economic regions page before relying on the weeks figure.
Got your number? Two things worth checking next
→ How to actually claim it — apply within 4 weeks of your last day or you can lose benefits. → What you paid in — the EI premium coming off your pay, and the 2026 maximum.How EI regular benefits are calculated
Employment Insurance regular benefits replace part of your income when you lose your job through no fault of your own. The basic rate is 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to a ceiling set each January. For 2026 the maximum insurable earnings are $68,900, which caps the benefit at $729 a week no matter how much you earned above that. Someone earning $1,000 a week receives $550; someone earning $2,000 a week receives the $729 maximum, not $1,100.
Your “average weekly earnings” come from your best weeks in the last 52 weeks — the number of weeks counted depends on your regional unemployment rate, ranging from the best 14 weeks in high-unemployment regions to the best 22 in low-unemployment ones. Insurable earnings include wages, tips, bonuses and commissions. EI is taxable income, and federal and provincial tax is withheld from each payment, so the amount that lands in your account is below the figures above.
How many weeks you can receive
Regular benefits run from 14 to 45 weeks. Two things decide where you land: the insurable hours you accumulated in the last 52 weeks, and the unemployment rate in your region when you file. Higher regional unemployment means both an easier qualifying threshold and more weeks of benefits for the same hours — the system deliberately pays longer where work is harder to find.
The calculator above reads directly from Service Canada’s official entitlement table. Because the regional rate changes every month, the weeks figure is only as current as the rate you select — check your economic region’s current unemployment rate before you rely on it. There is also a one-week unpaid waiting period at the start of every claim, like an insurance deductible, before any payment is made.
Do you qualify?
To receive EI regular benefits you must have lost your job through no fault of your own, have been without work and pay for at least 7 consecutive days in the last 52 weeks, have worked enough insurable hours in your region, and be ready, willing and actively looking for work — keeping a written record of employers you contact. You generally will not qualify if you quit without just cause or were dismissed for misconduct, though you are always encouraged to apply and let Service Canada decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much EI will I get?
55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to $729 a week in 2026. That maximum applies once your earnings reach about $1,326 a week ($68,900 a year). Below that, your benefit is simply 55% of your weekly pay, and tax is then deducted from it.
How many hours do I need to qualify for EI?
Between 420 and 700 insurable hours in the last 52 weeks, depending on your regional unemployment rate — fewer hours are needed where unemployment is higher. The calculator returns zero weeks if your hours fall below the threshold for the rate you selected.
Is there a waiting period for EI?
Yes. The first week of every claim is an unpaid waiting period, similar to a deductible. You will receive your first payment about 28 days after you apply, provided you qualify and have submitted all required information including your record of employment.
Is EI taxable?
Yes. EI benefits are taxable no matter the type, and federal and provincial or territorial tax is deducted from each payment. Depending on your total income for the year you may owe more, or be owed a refund, when you file.
📋 Rates verified — Official sources: Service Canada — EI regular benefits: how much you could receive · Service Canada — Do you qualify
⚠️ This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. KnowMyGovt is an independent service with no affiliation with or endorsement by Service Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency or the Government of Canada, and is not responsible for decisions you make based on it.
