The Government of Canada is trying to shift support for Canadians during the pandemic from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) back to employment insurance (EI).

The CERB has become a form of income support for approximately 8.5 million Canadians who have had to stop working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the federal government, 1.6 million Canadians have been able to return to work.

The federal government hopes to transition as many people as possible back to the EI system by the end of the month.

Effective August 9, a minimum unemployment rate of 13.1 per cent will be applied temporarily for all ei economic regions across Canada.
the honourable Carla Qualtrough, minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion says, “since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our government has taken action to support Canadians and

Businesses facing financial hardship. as we carefully and gradually restart parts of our economy, we recognize that many Canadian workers continue to face challenges.

The temporary use of a national minimum unemployment rate for the EI program will help more people access EI regular benefits and provide eligible Canadians with access to a minimum of 26 weeks of benefits.”

People who live in the EI regions with an unemployment rate lower than 13.1 per cent will have their EI benefits calculated on the basis of the 13.1 per cent rate, while individuals living in regions with a higher unemployment rate will have their benefits calculated using the actual rate for that region.this temporary measure will establish minimum entry requirements for EI eligibility across the country.