Employment insurance

Employment Insurance (EI) provides temporary financial assistance for unemployed Canadians while they look for work or upgrade their skills. To qualify for EI, you must have:

• Applied for EI.
   
• Paid into EI.
   
• Been without work and without pay for at least seven consecutive days.
   
• Worked for the required number of insurable hours (based on where you live and the unemployment rate in your economic region at the time you file your claim).

When you leave a full-time job, your employer must provide a Record of Employment that states the number of hours you worked and your wage and why you no longer work for that employer.

To apply for EI, you must have Records of Employment from all of your employers for the last 52 weeks.

If your employer does not provide a Record of Employment, notify the Employment Standards branch of Alberta Employment and Immigration. Phone 780-427-3731 in Edmonton or dial 310-0000 toll-free from elsewhere in Alberta and enter 780-427-3731 following the prompt.

Even if you don't have a copy of your Record of Employment, you should contact the Employment Insurance section of Service Canada. Tell them you were unable to obtain your record of employment and ask to apply for Employment Insurance (EI). Call 1-800-561-3992 toll-free.

For information about the number of insurable hours required to qualify for regular benefits in your region, information about EI benefits or to apply on-line, go to the Service Canada website and click on Employment Insurance or call 1-800-206-7218 toll-free.

You may also visit your nearest Canada-Alberta Service Centre (call the Alberta Career Information Hotline at 780-422-4266 in Edmonton or 1-800-661-3753 toll-free to find the centre nearest you).

Date Updated: Nov 01, 2007
RDP-650