EI Program Characteristics for the period of April 6, 2025 to May 10, 2025

Province / Territory	Economic Region Code	Economic Region Name ^{Footnote 1}	Unemployment Rate ^{Footnote 2}^{Footnote 3}^{Footnote 4}	Number of Insured Hours Required to Qualify for Regular Benefits	Minimum Number of Weeks Payable for Regular Benefits	Maximum Number of Weeks Payable for Regular Benefits	Number of Best Weeks Required for Benefit Calculation
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador	01	St. John's	8.2	595	18	42	19
Newfoundland and Labrador	02	Newfoundland/Labrador^{Footnote 5}	13.5	420	26	45	14
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island	65	Charlottetown	7.1	630	17	40	20
Prince Edward Island	66	Prince Edward Island^{Footnote 9}	11.1	490	23	45	16
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia	04	Eastern Nova Scotia	11.1	490	23	45	16
Nova Scotia	05	Western Nova Scotia	8	630	17	40	20
Nova Scotia	06	Halifax	7.1	630	17	40	20
New Brunswick
New Brunswick	07	Fredericton-Moncton-Saint John	7.6	630	17	40	20
New Brunswick	08	Madawaska-Charlotte	7.1	630	17	40	20
New Brunswick	09	Restigouche-Albert	10.3	525	21	45	17
Quebec
Quebec	10	Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine	9.3	560	20	44	18
Quebec	11	Quebec	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	12	Trois-Rivières	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	13	South Central Quebec	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	14	Sherbrooke	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	15	Montérégie	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	16	Montreal	7.6	630	17	40	20
Quebec	17	Central Quebec	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	18	North Western Quebec	7.8	630	17	40	20
Quebec	19	Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	20	Hull	7.1	630	17	40	20
Quebec	21	Chicoutimi-Jonquière	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario
Ontario	22	Ottawa	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario	23	Eastern Ontario	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario	24	Kingston	7.6	630	17	40	20
Ontario	25	Central Ontario	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario	26	Oshawa	8.9	595	18	42	19
Ontario	27	Toronto	9.6	560	20	44	18
Ontario	28	Hamilton	8.2	595	18	42	19
Ontario	29	St. Catharines	7.4	630	17	40	20
Ontario	30	London	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario	31	Niagara	7.7	630	17	40	20
Ontario	32	Windsor	10.8	525	21	45	17
Ontario	33	Kitchener	9.5	560	20	44	18
Ontario	34	Huron	8.8	595	18	42	19
Ontario	35	South Central Ontario	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario	36	Sudbury	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario	37	Thunder Bay	7.1	630	17	40	20
Ontario	38	Northern Ontario	7.1	630	17	40	20
Manitoba
Manitoba	39	Winnipeg	7.1	630	17	40	20
Manitoba	40	Southern Manitoba	8.6	595	18	42	19
Manitoba	41	Northern Manitoba	30.1	420	32	45	14
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan	42	Regina	7.1	630	17	40	20
Saskatchewan	43	Saskatoon	7.1	630	17	40	20
Saskatchewan	44	Southern Saskatchewan	7.3	630	17	40	20
Saskatchewan	45	Northern Saskatchewan	14.5	420	28	45	14
Alberta
Alberta	46	Calgary	8.4	595	18	42	19
Alberta	47	Edmonton	8.4	595	18	42	19
Alberta	48	Northern Alberta	10.5	525	21	45	17
Alberta	49	Southern Alberta	7.6	630	17	40	20
British Columbia
British Columbia	50	Southern Interior British Columbia	7.4	630	17	40	20
British Columbia	51	Abbotsford	7.1	630	17	40	20
British Columbia	52	Vancouver	7.8	630	17	40	20
British Columbia	53	Victoria	7.1	630	17	40	20
British Columbia	54	Southern Coastal British Columbia	7.8	630	17	40	20
British Columbia	55	Northern British Columbia	9.8	560	20	44	18
Territories^{Footnote 10}
Yukon	59	Whitehorse	7.1	630	17	40	20
Yukon	60	Yukon^{Footnote 6}	7.8	630	17	40	20
Northwest Territories	61	Yellowknife	7.1	630	17	40	20
Northwest Territories	62	Northwest Territories^{Footnote 7}	9.2	560	20	44	18
Nunavut	63	Iqaluit	7.1	630	17	40	20
Nunavut	64	Nunavut^{Footnote 8}	11.5	490	23	45	16

Violations from previous EI claims may increase the number of hours required to qualify for EI benefits. For more information on eligibility requirements.
Unemployment rates for regions with rates under 13.1% have been adjusted by 1% with no region seeing an unemployment rate of less than 7.1% as a result of a temporary measure to support workers in response to major changes in economic conditions. More information regarding the temporary measures can be found at Temporary Employment Insurance measures to respond to major changes in economic conditions - Canada.ca

Footnotes

Footnote 1

The boundaries of these regions are determined by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). For geographic descriptions and maps of EI economic regions, see the ESDC website: Canada's EI Economic Regions

Return to Footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

The regional rates of unemployment are produced by Statistics Canada for use by the Employment Insurance program.

Return to Footnote 2 referrer

Footnote 3

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this table is correct. If any discrepancies are found, regional rates of unemployment for the Employment Insurance program produced and published by Statistics Canada take precedent.

Return to Footnote 3 referrer

Footnote 4

The monthly regional unemployment rates for Employment Insurance purposes (except for the territories) are seasonally adjusted 3-month-moving averages.

Return to Footnote 4 referrer

Footnote 5

This region excludes St. John's.

Return to Footnote 5 referrer

Footnote 6

Effective October 12, 2014, Yukon is divided into two EI economic regions: Whitehorse and Yukon (not including Whitehorse).

Return to Footnote 6 referrer

Footnote 7

Effective October 12, 2014, the Northwest Territories is divided into two EI economic regions: Yellowknife and Northwest Territories (not including Yellowknife).

Return to Footnote 7 referrer

Footnote 8

Effective October 12, 2014, Nunavut is divided into two EI economic regions: Iqaluit and Nunavut (not including Iqaluit).

Return to Footnote 8 referrer

Footnote 9

Effective October 12, 2014, Prince Edward Island is divided into two EI economic regions: Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island (not including Charlottetown).

Return to Footnote 9 referrer

Footnote 10

The monthly regional unemployment rates for Employment Insurance purposes in the territories are subject to the greater of a seasonally adjusted 3-month-moving average or 12-month-moving average.

Return to Footnote 10 referrer

Report a problem on this page

Date modified:: 2019-03-01