Estimate your weekly benefit for regular EI, maternity, parental (standard or extended), and sickness claims, using the 2025 maximum insurable earnings.
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Estimated weekly EI benefit
$605/ week
Replacement rate: 55 %
Capped at $695/week (2025 max insurable)
Typical duration: 26 weeks
Approximate total benefit: $15,730
Service Canada caps insurable earnings at $65,700/year for 2025 (~$1,263/week). Regular EI replaces 55 % of average weekly insurable earnings. Parental benefits can be taken as 40 weeks at 55 % (standard) or 69 weeks at 33 % (extended) — split between two parents. Maternity is a separate 15-week benefit available to the birthing parent. Quebec residents use QPIP instead. Apply within 4 weeks of your last day of work. Estimator does not include the 1-week unpaid waiting period or the family-supplement top-up for low-income claimants.
How EI works
Employment Insurance replaces 55 % of your average weekly insurable earnings, capped at the maximum insurable earnings (MIE) — $65,700 in 2025. To qualify for regular EI, you generally need 420–700 hours of insurable work in the previous 52 weeks (the threshold varies with regional unemployment rates). For maternity and parental, you need 600 hours.
Quebec uses QPIP, not EI
If you’re a Quebec resident, maternity and parental benefits come through the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), which has different rules and rates from federal EI. QPIP replaces a higher percentage (70–75 %) of earnings for the basic plan, with different week counts. This calculator estimates the federal EI benefit only — Quebec residents should use Revenu Québec’s official QPIP estimator.
Apply early
Apply for EI online at Canada.ca/EI as soon as you stop working. There’s a one-week unpaid waiting period before benefits start, and Service Canada needs your Record of Employment (ROE) — your employer files it electronically within 5 days of your last day. If you wait more than 4 weeks to apply, you risk losing benefits.
This tool is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a licensed Canadian healthcare professional. Read our full disclaimer.