Employment Insurance (EI) is a federal program, so it covers workers everywhere in Canada, Quebec included. It's a small amount taken off every paycheque — your premium (cotisation) — that entitles you, if you lose your job through no fault of your own, to a weekly benefit (prestation) while you look for work. Because the program is federal, it's Ottawa, not Quebec, that sets its rules and rates.
But Quebec has its own, lower rate than the rest of Canada. In 2026, a Quebec worker pays $1.30 per $100 of insurable earnings, compared with $1.63 elsewhere in the country. The reason is straightforward: Quebec runs its own maternity, paternity and parental benefits through the QPIP (Quebec Parental Insurance Plan / RQAP). That portion isn't covered by federal EI in Quebec, so your EI rate is reduced accordingly, as the federal commission confirmed when it set the 2026 rate.
The maximum insurable earnings (MIE) rises to $68,900 in 2026. This is the salary ceiling you pay premiums on: above it, nothing more is deducted for EI. The maximum climbs from $65,700 in 2025 to $68,900 this year, an increase of $3,200, per the federal notice on 2026 maximum insurable earnings.
In practice, a Quebec employee's maximum annual premium is $895.70. Put another way, even on a high salary you'll never pay more than that to EI in a year. Your employer pays at a higher rate — roughly $1.82 per $100 in Quebec. The full EI premium rates and maximums are published by the Canada Revenue Agency.
What would you get if you lost your job? Regular EI benefits replace 55% of your average insurable earnings, up to the ceiling. Because the MIE is $68,900, 55% of that amount works out to a maximum benefit of $729 per week in 2026, as the federal government explains in its EI regular benefits amount page. If you earn less, your benefit is calculated on 55% of your best weeks.
Good to know for newcomers: that "EI" line shows up on your pay stub from your very first job. If you lose that job through no fault of your own, you may qualify — up to $729 a week depending on your salary. Benefits aren't automatic: you have to apply promptly, ideally within days of your job ending, because waiting can cost you weeks of payments.
