Additional weeks of regular benefits for workers in seasonal employment
Workers in seasonal employment are an important part of Canada’s growing economy. To better support them, the Government of Canada continues to provide up to 5 additional weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits to eligible workers in seasonal employment who live in one of 13 targeted EI economic regions:
- Newfoundland / Labrador (excludes St. John’s region)
- Eastern Nova Scotia
- Western Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island (excludes Charlottetown region)
- Charlottetown
- Madawaska-Charlotte
- Restigouche-Albert
- Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
- Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore
- Central Quebec
- Chicoutimi-Jonquière
- Northwestern Quebec
- Yukon (excludes Whitehorse region)
Until October 7, 2028, if you’re working in seasonal employment and living in one of the EI regions listed above when your claim starts, you may be eligible to receive up to 5 additional weeks of regular benefits.
The additional weeks of regular benefits will be added automatically to your claim if when your claim starts, you meet the following criteria for a worker in seasonal employment:
- You received regular or fishing benefits from at least three EI claimsFootnote 1 in the past 5 years
- At least two of those EI claims started around the same time of year as your current claim
Note: You may be eligible for the additional weeks of regular benefits if you meet the criteria for a worker in seasonal employment on an EI claim that started between August 5, 2018 and September 25, 2021, and your current claim starts before November 7, 2027.