.jpg)
The Canada Employment Insurance Commission says the Employment Insurance premium rate for 2026 will decrease slightly to $1.63 per $100 of insurable earnings.
The new rate, announced Sept. 12, is down one cent from 2025 and three cents from 2024. Employers will pay 1.4 times the employee rate, or $2.28 per $100.
The commission says the rate was set following the release of the 2026 Actuarial Report on the Employment Insurance Premium Rate and its addendum. The report projects a seven-year break-even rate of $1.63, which would balance the EI Operating Account by the end of 2032.
The maximum insurable earnings will also increase to $68,900 in 2026, up from $65,700 this year. That means the maximum annual EI contribution for a worker will rise by $45.59 to $1,123.07, while employers will see their maximum contribution increase by $63.83 to $1,572.30 per employee.
The commission also said the Premium Reduction Program, which allows employers with registered short-term wage-loss plans to pay reduced EI premiums, will provide about $1.46 billion in savings in 2026.