The federal government will extend three temporary Employment Insurance (EI) measures beyond April 2026 to support workers affected by US tariffs, the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada said.
The extension, announced by Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu last week, pushes the measures to Oct. 10, 2026, six months from their previous expiry date. The announcement marks the third time the government has adjusted the EI measures since they were first introduced.
The three measures include waiving the standard one-week EI waiting period, suspending the treatment of monies paid on separation, and providing 20 additional weeks of regular benefits for long-tenured workers.
The waiting period waiver and the separation payment suspension apply to claims established between March 30, 2025, and Oct. 10, 2026. The additional weeks measure applies to claims starting on or after June 15, 2025, until Oct. 10, 2026.
The government estimates that 632,000 additional claims will benefit from the waived waiting period, while 136,000 additional claims are projected to benefit from the suspended separation payment treatment. A further 43,500 claims are expected to benefit from the extra 20 weeks available to long-tenured workers.
“The EI program remains a critical safety net, designed to be there when Canadians need it most,” Hajdu said. “As we navigate uncertain times, these measures will help workers access the income support they need.”
The announcement comes alongside separate news that flexibilities to the Work-Sharing Program, first introduced in March 2025, have been extended until March 31, 2027. The department said roughly 1,500 Work-Sharing applications had been approved as of March 14, 2026, covering more than 54,000 workers and helping prevent an estimated 20,000 layoffs.
The government also noted that employers with active Work-Sharing agreements may now apply for the Worker Retention Grant, a temporary tariff measure first announced by then-prime minister Mark Carney in November. The grant allows employers to top up employee income to approximately 70% of reduced earnings while workers undergo training.
The department said the EI measures are funded through contributions from workers and employers, as part of the government’s broader $570 million Workforce Tariff Response investment channelled through provincial and territorial governments.
In September, the Canada Employment Insurance Commission set the 2026 EI premium rate at $1.63 per $100 of insurable earnings for employees (a one-cent decrease from 2025) while maximum insurable earnings rose to $68,900 from $65,700. The 2026 actuarial report projected a cumulative deficit of $17.2 billion in the EI Operating Account as of Dec. 31, 2025.
