How is EI changing under Canada’s tariff relief plan — and is it enough?

The Canadian government is implementing changes to Employment Insurance (EI) in response to U.S. tariff increases that have led to thousands of job losses. The new measures aim to provide additional support to workers who have been affected by these job losses. Teilen Celentano, an employment lawyer, expressed concern that the current EI benefits may not be sufficient for individuals facing long periods of unemployment, as they struggle to pay bills and maintain their households.

Three temporary EI measures were extended, including a change in the eligibility criteria for workers who voluntarily leave a job. For one year, individuals who resign from their job and subsequently find another position can receive EI benefits if they lose the new job through no fault of their own. Additionally, the one-week waiting period before workers become eligible for EI benefits has been waived for an additional year.

This change allows workers to access EI benefits immediately after losing a job, even if they have severance or vacation pay from their previous employer.

Another temporary measure provides an extra 20 weeks of EI benefits for long-tenured workers who may find it challenging to transition to a new job or sector. Currently, EI payments are set at a maximum of $729 per week before taxes, calculated as 55% of average insurable weekly earnings up to $68,900 per year. Celentano suggested that the government could consider increasing these payment amounts as part of the temporary measures to better support affected workers, taking into account local cost of living and personal circumstances.