What is the qualifying period?
The qualifying period is the shorter of:
- the 52-week period immediately before the start date of your claim; or
- the period from the start of a previous benefit period to the start of your new benefit period, if you applied for benefits earlier and your application was approved in the last 52 weeks.
Exception: In some cases, the qualifying period may be extended to a maximum of 104 weeks if you were not employed in insurable employment or if you were not receiving EI benefits.
If you were already a member of the work force or if you previously received maternity or parental benefits
You will need to have accumulated between 420 and 700 hours of insurable employment during the qualifying period to be entitled to receive EI regular benefits, as long as:
- you can show that you have accumulated at least 490 hours of participation in the labour market during the labour force attachment period (the 52-week period immediately preceding the qualifying period); or
- you received at least one week of maternity or parental benefits in the 208 weeks preceding the 52 weeks before the qualifying period (in other words, in the four years preceding the labour force attachment period).
What is the labour force attachment period?
You should not confuse the labour force attachment period with the qualifying period. The labour force attachment period is the 52-week period immediately preceding the qualifying period. It corresponds to the number of hours for which a person was a member of the labour force (in other words, the person worked or received earnings, received benefits or compensation, participated in an approved training or other program, was serving a waiting period, or participated in a labour dispute).
You need to have accumulated at least 490 hours as a member of the labour force during the labour force attachment period to be required to accumulate only between 420 to 700 hours of insurable employment during the qualifying period.
The number of hours of insurable employment required is determined when you apply for benefits, depending on the following:
- your place of residence; and
- the unemployment rate for your region.
Table 1: Number of hours of insurable employment required to qualify for benefits
Regional rate of unemployment Required number of hours of employment in the last 52 weeks
6% or less 700 hours
6.1% to 7% 665 hours
7.1% to 8% 630 hours
8.1% to 9% 595 hours
9.1% to 10% 560 hours
10.1% to 11% 525 hours
11.1% to 12% 490 hours
12.1% to 13% 455 hours
13.1% or more 420 hours