Only half of unemployed young Canadians qualified for Employment Insurance benefits in 2024, down from nearly two-thirds two years ago, as eligibility rates among workers aged 15 to 24 fell for the second straight year, according to Statistics Canada.
The eligibility rate for youth dropped to 50.3 per cent in 2024, down 6.8 percentage points from 2023 and down 14.6 percentage points from 2022. The contribution rate among unemployed youth also declined, falling from 61.9 per cent in 2023 to 48.2 per cent in 2024.
The findings come from the 2024 Employment Insurance Coverage Survey, released Wednesday, which tracks who has access to regular EI benefits and parental benefits under the federal program.
Part-time workers face lowest eligibility rates
The overall EI eligibility rate held steady at 83.1 per cent in 2024, unchanged from 2023. However, significant disparities emerged based on employment status and demographics.
Full-time paid employees in their last job had an eligibility rate of 93.8 per cent, compared with just 41.6 per cent for part-time employees. In 2024, an average of 1.4 million Canadians were unemployed at any point during the year, and 64.5 per cent had contributed to EI in the previous 12 months.
Young workers face lower eligibility rates because they are less likely to accumulate sufficient insurable work hours and more likely to have invalid job separations, such as voluntarily leaving a job to return to school.
Gender gap persists in EI access
Men maintained higher eligibility rates than women in 2024, at 86.6 per cent compared with 78.4 per cent. The gap reflects women’s higher representation in part-time employment, which makes it harder to accumulate enough insurable hours before unemployment.
Core-aged workers aged 25 to 54 saw their eligibility rate rise to 89.0 per cent, up 2.2 percentage points from 2023. Workers aged 55 and older maintained the highest eligibility rate at 93.1 per cent.
Recent immigrants who landed in Canada within the previous 10 years had an eligibility rate of 84.3 per cent, lower than Canadian-born workers at 90.3 per cent and established immigrants at 89.1 per cent.
Atlantic provinces lead in coverage
The Atlantic provinces recorded the highest eligibility rates at 93.1 per cent in 2024, up slightly from 91.9 per cent in 2023. Saskatchewan and Manitoba had the lowest rates, at 72.4 per cent and 74.4 per cent respectively.
Both Saskatchewan and Manitoba saw eligibility rates drop from the previous year, declining 8.1 percentage points and 12.9 percentage points. Alberta’s eligibility rate rose 11.1 percentage points to reach 85.8 per cent.
Parental benefit use increases
Among parents with a child aged 18 months or younger, 81.2 per cent had paid EI contributions before the birth or adoption, up from 78.3 per cent in 2023. Of those who contributed, 92.8 per cent received maternity or parental benefits.
The share of partners claiming paternity or parental benefits rose to 51.9 per cent in 2024, up from 49.3 per cent in 2023 and 46.6 per cent in 2022. The average duration of parental leave increased by 0.6 months to reach 12.1 months in 2024.
To qualify for regular EI benefits, unemployed individuals must contribute to the program, have a valid job separation such as a layoff, and accumulate enough insurable hours over the past 12 months. The required hours range from 420 to 700, depending on the region’s unemployment rate.
