Do EI temporary measures all end in October 2026?

No. Major-economic-condition measures (waiting period, separation earnings, long-tenured weeks) are tied to claim start dates through October 10, 2026. Seasonal-worker additional weeks for eligible claimants are extended to October 7, 2028 under Bill C-30.

Employment Insurance · Federal temporary measures

EI temporary measures: two different timelines

Canada has introduced temporary Employment Insurance (EI) rules in response to economic conditions and for seasonal workers. These are separate policies with different end dates. Whether a measure applies depends on when your claim starts and, for seasonal weeks, where you live and your work pattern.

At a glance

Not every EI claimant receives additional weeks. Standard regular EI still depends on insurable hours, reason for separation, and regional rules.
Timeline A (major economic conditions) and Timeline B (seasonal additional weeks) have different end dates. Do not combine them.
For Timeline A, check the date your claim starts, not today's date, to see whether waiting-period, separation-earnings, or long-tenured rules apply.
For Timeline B, eligible regions are established by regulation. Confirm your region on official Service Canada guidance before assuming you qualify.

Timeline A

Major economic conditions (ends October 10, 2026)

These three measures apply based on your EI claim start date (or allocation start date for separation earnings). They do not apply to every type of EI benefit.

Waiting period waived

Normally there is a one-week unpaid waiting period before EI benefits begin. Under the temporary measure, the waiting period is waived for claims that start in the window below. You may still serve the waiting period if a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit plan makes that advantageous.

Claim start date: March 30, 2025 through October 10, 2026 (inclusive).

Separation earnings not deducted

Earnings paid because of a temporary or permanent separation (such as vacation pay, pay in lieu of notice, severance, closure bonuses, or sick-leave credits) are normally allocated from the week of separation. Under the temporary measure, these earnings are not deducted when your claim or the allocation starts in the window below.

Claim or allocation start: March 30, 2025 through October 10, 2026 (inclusive).

Additional weeks for long-tenured workers

Eligible long-tenured workers may receive up to 20 additional weeks of regular benefits (maximum 65 weeks total) if they meet tenure and premium conditions published on canada.ca. Service Canada adds qualifying weeks automatically.

Claim start date: June 15, 2025 through October 10, 2026 (inclusive), plus long-tenured worker criteria.

Timeline B

Seasonal-worker additional weeks (to October 7, 2028)

A separate measure can add up to five weeks of regular EI for eligible seasonal workers in designated regions. Bill C-30 extended this to October 7, 2028. Region lists are set by regulation and should be confirmed on official pages.

Up to five additional weeks in designated regions

Eligible seasonal workers who are ordinarily resident in a designated region may receive up to five additional weeks of regular benefits (45 weeks maximum). This is separate from the long-tenured measure and from standard week ranges based on regional unemployment rates.

Benefit period established: September 26, 2021 through October 7, 2028 (inclusive), per Bill C-30. Confirm designated regions on official guidance.

When official pages disagree

Some Service Canada public pages (for example the seasonal-workers overview last updated in 2024) still list an October 24, 2026 end date for seasonal additional weeks. Bill C-30 as enacted extends the benefit-period window to October 7, 2028 and moves eligible regions to regulation. MyEligible follows enacted legislation for expiry wording and flags regional lists for monitoring.

Official sources

Last reviewed for this tool: 2026-08-23. Amounts may change.

This is not an eligibility test

Last reviewed: August 23, 2026

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