Employment Insurance in Canada (2026): Your Region Sets the Amount
EI pays 55% — but only on the first $68,900 of earnings. Above that everyone gets the same $729 a week, so the real replacement rate falls below 20% for high earners. And your region decides the weeks.
CreditCardGuru Editorial Team
Rewards & Cards Research · October 6, 2026 · 6 min read
Employment Insurance pays 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, but only up to $68,900 a year of those earnings. Everyone above that line receives the same maximum: $729 a week. A worker on $70,000 and a worker on $200,000 get an identical cheque, which means the actual replacement rate falls from 55% to under 20% as income rises.
And the number of weeks you get is not set by what you earned at all. It is set by the unemployment rate in your region on the day you file.
What EI actually pays in 2026
55%, capped at $729 a week.
Service Canada states that as of 1 January 2026 the maximum yearly insurable earnings amount is $68,900, and that the maximum weekly benefit is $729. The two figures are the same statement said twice: 55% of $68,900, divided across 52 weeks, is $728.65.
| Annual earnings | Weekly EI benefit | Actual replacement rate |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $423 | 55.0% |
| $60,000 | $635 | 55.0% |
| $68,900 | $729 | 55.0% |
| $100,000 | $729 | 37.9% |
| $150,000 | $729 | 25.3% |
| $200,000 | $729 | 19.0% |
The cap binds at exactly $68,900. Below it EI genuinely replaces 55% of your income. Above it, every additional dollar you earned while working buys you nothing in benefits, and the protection quietly thins out.
That is the number worth internalising if you earn well above the ceiling: your emergency fund is covering 80% of your income, not 45% of it.
Your premiums cap too
$1,123.07 is the most an employee outside Quebec pays in EI premiums for 2026.
That figure comes from the CRA's payroll deductions formulas, and it is the other side of the same ceiling — $1,123.07 on $68,900 of insurable earnings is a rate of 1.63%. Earn more than $68,900 and you stop paying EI premiums for the rest of the year, which is why take-home pay rises partway through the year for higher earners.
So the system is at least internally consistent: you do not insure income above the ceiling, and you do not pay premiums on it either.
How long you get paid depends on where you live
14 to 45 weeks, decided by your regional unemployment rate and your insurable hours.
Service Canada sets the duration from two inputs: the unemployment rate in your EI region when you file the claim, and your insurable hours over the last 52 weeks, or since your last claim if that is shorter.
Two people laid off from the same job on the same day, living in different EI regions, can receive materially different numbers of weeks. The weekly amount does not vary by region; the duration does.
One detail that catches people: once your benefit period begins, moving to another region does not change the number of weeks you were granted. The region is fixed at the moment you file, which makes the timing of a claim around a move worth thinking about.
What this means in practice
- File promptly. The regional rate is taken when you file, and both the duration and the entrance requirement depend on it.
- Count your hours, not your weeks. Eligibility and duration run on insurable hours in the last 52 weeks. Part-time and variable schedules need the hours totalled rather than estimated.
- Plan your buffer against $729, not against 55%. For anyone over the ceiling, that is the only number that matters.
- EI is taxable income. The $729 is a gross figure, and it is added to anything else you earn in the year.
How much should you actually hold in reserve?
Work backwards from $729 a week.
$729 a week is about $3,159 a month before tax. Compare that with your fixed costs — rent or mortgage, insurance, utilities, childcare — rather than with your salary. The gap between those two numbers is what savings have to cover, and for a household above the ceiling the gap widens with every raise.
If that gap is large, a no-fee credit card kept clear of a balance is a poor substitute for cash — at ordinary Canadian purchase rates, borrowing through an unemployment spell is expensive. A high-interest savings account held against this specific number is the cheaper answer.
Every figure above comes from Service Canada's own EI benefit amount page and the CRA's 2026 payroll deductions formulas, read on 10 October 2026. The replacement-rate table is our arithmetic on the published $68,900 ceiling and $729 weekly maximum. Benefit rules vary for special benefits such as sickness, maternity and parental leave, which are not covered here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does EI pay in 2026?
55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum of $729 a week. The maximum yearly insurable earnings amount is $68,900 as of 1 January 2026, so earnings above that line do not increase your benefit at all.
What is the maximum EI payment per week?
$729. That is 55% of the $68,900 annual insurable earnings ceiling spread across the year. Anyone earning more than $68,900 receives the same $729 regardless of salary, which is why high earners see a much lower effective replacement rate.
How many weeks of EI can I get?
Between 14 and 45 weeks. The number depends on the unemployment rate in your EI region when you file your claim, and on your insurable hours over the last 52 weeks or since your last claim, whichever period is shorter.
Does where I live affect my EI?
It affects how long you are paid, not how much per week. The regional unemployment rate at the time you file helps set the number of weeks. Moving to another region after your benefit period starts does not change the weeks you were granted.
How much EI do I pay in premiums?
Up to $1,123.07 for 2026 as an employee outside Quebec, per the CRA's payroll formulas. That is 1.63% of the $68,900 insurable earnings ceiling. Once you reach the maximum, EI premiums stop for the rest of the calendar year.
Is EI taxable?
Yes. EI benefits are taxable income and are added to anything else you earn during the year. The $729 weekly maximum is a gross figure, so the amount actually reaching your account is lower once withholding is applied.
Why is my EI less than 55% of my salary?
Because of the $68,900 insurable earnings ceiling. The 55% rate applies only to earnings up to that amount. On a $150,000 salary the $729 maximum works out to about 25% of your income, not 55%.
What counts toward the hours needed for EI?
Insurable hours worked in the last 52 weeks, or since your last EI claim if that period is shorter. Hours rather than weeks is the unit, which matters for part-time, seasonal and variable-schedule work where weeks alone would understate what you did.
How much emergency savings do I need if I'm on EI?
Work from $729 a week, roughly $3,159 a month before tax, and compare it with your fixed costs rather than your salary. The shortfall between the two is what savings must cover, and for anyone above the earnings ceiling that shortfall grows with every raise.
Does a raise increase my future EI benefit?
Only if you earn below $68,900. Above that ceiling, additional income neither raises your benefit nor attracts EI premiums. The insurance simply stops scaling, which is the single most useful thing to know about the programme if you are a higher earner.