$729 a week from 1 January 2026, up from $695 — reached at a salary of $68,900 or more.
ESTIMATE
Estimates as of 3 November 2026, for information only — not legal advice or a decision on your claim; Service Canada decides eligibility and the exact amount. 2026 figures from Canada.ca: 55% benefit rate, maximum insurable earnings $68,900, maximum $729 a week (extended parental 33%, $437). Regional rates for 11 October to 7 November 2026.
The maximum EI benefit in 2026 is $729 a week before tax for regular, sickness, maternity, standard parental and caregiving benefits. It comes from the 2026 maximum insurable earnings of $68,900: $68,900 ÷ 52 = $1,325.00 a week, × 55% = $728.75. Extended parental benefits, paid at 33%, top out at $437.
The 2026 maximums
Set by the maximum insurable earnings, which rise each January with average wages.
$729 max / week$437 extended parental$68,900 max insurable$1,123.07 max premium
Compare EI with your normal take-home pay
Open the Ontario take-home pay calculator to see your 2026 pay after federal and Ontario tax, CPP and EI premiums — the number EI is really replacing.
Anyone whose average insurable weekly earnings over their best weeks are at least $1,325 — a salary of about $68,900 or more, or $33.13 an hour at 40 hours a week ($35.33 at 37.5 hours). Above that line, extra pay is not insurable: a $120,000 earner and a $70,000 earner both get $729. In practice that means EI replaces a smaller share of income the more you earn:
Maximum weekly EI benefit, 55% rate. Source: Canada.ca maximum insurable earnings by year.
EI maximum by year
Year
Max insurable earnings
Max weekly (55%)
Max extended parental (33%)
2022
$60,300
$638
$383
2023
$61,500
$650
$390
2024
$63,200
$668
$401
2025
$65,700
$695
$417
2026
$68,900
$729
$437
The 2026 increase of $34 a week (4.9%) is the largest in this period, because maximum insurable earnings rose by $3,200. The amount that applies to you is set by the year your claim starts; a claim that began in 2025 keeps its 2025 rate even after 1 January.
2026 EI premiums: what you pay for the maximum
The same $68,900 ceiling caps premiums. Employees outside Quebec pay 1.63% of insurable earnings, up to $1,123.07 for the year; employers pay 1.4 times that (2.282%, up to $1,572.30). In Quebec the employee rate is 1.30% (maximum $895.70) and the employer rate 1.82%, because the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan replaces EI maternity and parental benefits. Once you have paid the maximum for the year, EI premiums stop appearing on your pay stub.
Can you get more than $729?
Family supplement: raises the rate for low-income families with children (net family income up to $25,921), but the total still cannot exceed $729.
Employer top-ups: many employers top up maternity, parental or sickness benefits through a supplemental unemployment benefit (SUB) plan. Approved SUB payments are not deducted from EI.
Working while on claim: part-time earnings plus reduced EI can bring total weekly income above $729 — see working while on EI.
What you can’t do is stack weeks of different maximums: the weekly rate is fixed for the whole claim, even if the maximum rises in January.
Check your take-home pay before and after
The Ontario take-home pay calculator shows your 2026 net pay after tax, CPP and EI premiums — the income your EI benefit is replacing.
Benefit rate and maximums: Canada.ca “EI regular benefits: How much you could receive” and the maternity/parental and sickness benefit-amount pages — 55% of average insurable weekly earnings; maximum yearly insurable earnings $68,900 from 1 January 2026 ($65,700 in 2025); maximum $729 a week ($695 in 2025); extended parental 33%, maximum $437.
Best weeks (14 to 22) and the weeks you can be paid come from the regional unemployment rate: Employment Insurance Act, Schedule I, and Service Canada’s “EI Program Characteristics” for 11 October to 7 November 2026 (rates are updated every four weeks).
2026 temporary measures: Canada Gazette Part II, SOR/2026-203 (EI Pilot Project No. 25, in force 11 October 2026) — waiting week waived and separation money not deducted for claims starting up to 9 October 2027; up to 20 extra weeks for long-tenured workers for claims starting up to 12 June 2027; only the most recent separation assessed.
Repayment (clawback): 30% of the lesser of regular benefits or net income above $86,125 (2026 = 1.25 × maximum insurable earnings). Premiums 2026: 1.63% of insurable earnings (Quebec 1.30%), maximum $1,123.07.
Tax withheld is our estimate: the weekly benefit annualized through 2026 federal and Ontario tax brackets with basic personal amounts (and the Ontario Health Premium). Service Canada’s actual deduction and your final tax depend on your total income for the year. Take-home pay while working: 2026 Ontario, from our Canada salary after tax engine.