Temporary Employment Insurance measures to respond to major changes in economic conditions
April 14, 2025
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.
Waiving the waiting period
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 October 11, 2025.
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 October 11, 2025, earnings from separation are not deducted from your benefits.
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 July 12, 2025.
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