How many weeks of EI can I get?

Between 14 and 45, set by two things: your insurable hours in the last 52 weeks and the unemployment rate in your EI economic region on the day you apply. Find your hours row and your rate column in the table.

How many hours do I need for EI?

Between 420 and 700. It is 700 where regional unemployment is 6% or less and drops in steps of 35 hours for each percentage point, down to 420 where it is over 13%.

What is the maximum EI payment in 2026?

$729 a week, which is 55% of the 2026 maximum insurable earnings of $68,900 divided by 52.

Where do I find my regional unemployment rate?

On Service Canada's EI economic regions page, linked in the sources. Rates are updated monthly and the rate on the day you apply is the one that counts.

Does this table cover sickness, maternity or parental benefits?

No. Those have fixed weeks (15 for maternity, 26 for sickness, 35 or 61 for parental) and need 600 hours. The maternity and parental leave calculator covers those.

EI Weeks and Hours by Unemployment Rate, 2026 (Full Table)

Name: EI Weeks and Hours by Unemployment Rate, 2026 (Full Table)
Creator: GlassLayer
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The same 1,000 hours of work pay 18 weeks of EI where regional unemployment is 6% or less and 40 weeks where it is over 16%. This page lays out Service Canada's whole 2026 entitlement table, all 41 hour bands and 12 unemployment bands, with the hours needed to qualify and the weeks used to average earnings.

What the numbers show

Weeks of benefit run from 14 to 45. To reach 45 weeks you need 1330 hours in the highest-unemployment regions, or more than 1,820 hours where unemployment is 6% or less, which the table never reaches.
The hours needed to qualify fall from 700 in the lowest-unemployment regions to 420 where unemployment is over 13%.
The weekly benefit is 55% of average insurable earnings, capped at $729 a week in 2026, from the $68,900 maximum insurable earnings. The cap is reached at $68,924 of annual earnings.
Earnings are averaged over the best 14 to 22 weeks, fewer weeks where unemployment is higher, which raises the average for people whose hours vary.
There is a 1-week waiting period, and benefits are taxable at source.

Hours needed and weeks averaged, by regional unemployment rate

Regional unemployment rate	Insurable hours needed	Best weeks averaged
6% and under	700	22
6.1 to 7%	665	21
7.1 to 8%	630	20
8.1 to 9%	595	19
9.1 to 10%	560	18
10.1 to 11%	525	17
11.1 to 12%	490	16
12.1 to 13%	455	15
over 13%	420	14

Weeks of regular benefits, by hours and rate

Rows are insurable hours in the last 52 weeks. Columns are the regional unemployment rate. A zero means not enough hours to qualify in that region.

Hours	6% and less	6.1 to 7%	7.1 to 8%	8.1 to 9%	9.1 to 10%	10.1 to 11%	11.1 to 12%	12.1 to 13%	13.1 to 14%	14.1 to 15%	15.1 to 16%	over 16%
420 to 454	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	28	30	32
455 to 489	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	24	26	28	30	32
490 to 524	0	0	0	0	0	0	23	25	27	29	31	33
525 to 559	0	0	0	0	0	21	23	25	27	29	31	33
560 to 594	0	0	0	0	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34
595 to 629	0	0	0	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34
630 to 664	0	0	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35
665 to 699	0	15	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35
700 to 734	14	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36
735 to 769	14	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36
770 to 804	15	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37
805 to 839	15	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37
840 to 874	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38
875 to 909	16	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38
910 to 944	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39
945 to 979	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39
980 to 1,014	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40
1,015 to 1,049	18	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40
1,050 to 1,084	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41
1,085 to 1,119	19	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41
1,120 to 1,154	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42
1,155 to 1,189	20	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42
1,190 to 1,224	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43
1,225 to 1,259	21	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43
1,260 to 1,294	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44
1,295 to 1,329	22	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44
1,330 to 1,364	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43	45
1,365 to 1,399	23	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43	45
1,400 to 1,434	24	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	45
1,435 to 1,469	25	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43	45	45
1,470 to 1,504	26	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	45	45
1,505 to 1,539	27	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43	45	45	45
1,540 to 1,574	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	45	45	45
1,575 to 1,609	29	31	33	35	37	39	41	43	45	45	45	45
1,610 to 1,644	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	45	45	45	45
1,645 to 1,679	31	33	35	37	39	41	43	45	45	45	45	45
1,680 to 1,714	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	45	45	45	45	45
1,715 to 1,749	33	35	37	39	41	43	45	45	45	45	45	45
1,750 to 1,784	34	36	38	40	42	44	45	45	45	45	45	45
1,785 to 1,819	35	37	39	41	43	45	45	45	45	45	45	45
1,820 or more	36	38	40	42	44	45	45	45	45	45	45	45

How to use it

Add up the insurable hours on your records of employment for the last 52 weeks, or since your last claim if that is more recent. Find the row. Look up your EI economic region's unemployment rate for the month you apply and find the column. The cell is your weeks. Your weekly amount is 55% of your average insurable earnings over your best weeks, up to $729. The EI benefits calculator does the lookup and the total for you.

A violation on an earlier claim raises the hours needed. Seasonal workers in some regions can get extra weeks. Neither is in this table.

Common questions

How many weeks of EI can I get?: Between 14 and 45, set by two things: your insurable hours in the last 52 weeks and the unemployment rate in your EI economic region on the day you apply. Find your hours row and your rate column in the table.
How many hours do I need for EI?: Between 420 and 700. It is 700 where regional unemployment is 6% or less and drops in steps of 35 hours for each percentage point, down to 420 where it is over 13%.
What is the maximum EI payment in 2026?: $729 a week, which is 55% of the 2026 maximum insurable earnings of $68,900 divided by 52.
Where do I find my regional unemployment rate?: On Service Canada's EI economic regions page, linked in the sources. Rates are updated monthly and the rate on the day you apply is the one that counts.
Does this table cover sickness, maternity or parental benefits?: No. Those have fixed weeks (15 for maternity, 26 for sickness, 35 or 61 for parental) and need 600 hours. The maternity and parental leave calculator covers those.

How to cite this

GlassLayer, "How many weeks of EI you get, by hours worked and regional unemployment rate, 2026", 2026, https://glasslayer.ca/data/ei-weeks-by-region-rate-2026. Figures from the primary sources listed below, compiled and verified September 17, 2026. Reuse is free with a link back.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of these primary sources. Data last verified September 7, 2026.

Data verified September 17, 2026. Every figure is generated from the same data files that power the calculators, so this page updates when they do.