2023 Survey Highlights Employment Insurance Coverage Trends

The 2023 Employment Insurance Coverage Survey has provided new insights into the accessibility of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in Canada. According to the survey, the eligibility rate for regular EI benefits in 2023 was 83.1%, a decrease of 6.1 percentage points from 2022. This rate was slightly below the average eligibility rate of 84.7% observed from 2017 to 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey also highlighted that in 2023, approximately 1.1 million Canadians were unemployed at some point during the year. Of these, 66% had contributed to the EI program, marking an increase from 59.2% in 2022. To qualify for regular EI benefits, individuals must have contributed to the EI program, have a valid job separation, and have accumulated sufficient insurable hours.

The data further revealed that the number of Canadians receiving regular EI benefits rose by 2.2% in July 2024, reaching a total of 489,000 beneficiaries. This increase was part of a trend observed over three consecutive months. On a year-over-year basis, the number of regular EI beneficiaries increased by 10% in July 2024.

In Ontario, the number of EI recipients receiving regular benefits increased by 3.0% in July 2024, with a notable rise among core-aged women. The province accounted for 69.3% of the total increase in Canada. Conversely, Quebec experienced a decline of 4.2% in the number of regular EI recipients during the same period.