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Canada Employment Insurance Commission

Background and Origin

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) is an entity under the umbrella of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). Its main role is to assist the Department in managing the Employment Insurance Program.

The Commission was first created as the Unemployment Insurance Commission (UIC) in 1940. In May 1996, the UIC became the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC).

The Commission has four members, representing the interests of government, workers and employers. The Commissioner for Workers and the Commissioner for Employers are appointed by the Governor in Council for terms of up to five years. They are mandated to represent and reflect the views of their respective constituencies. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson are respectively the Deputy Minister and Associate Deputy Minister of HRSDC and can be said to represent the interests of government.

The establishment of the Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board (CEIFB) brought forward changes to the mandate of the EI Commission.

Mandate

With the CEIFB taking on the responsibility for EI premium rate-setting, the EI Commission has retained its other responsibilities for supporting the EI appeal system, making regulations with the approval of the Governor in Council and reviewing and approving policies related to EI program administration and delivery. The EI Commission has also been given an ongoing mandate to continue the EI Monitoring and Assessment report as a permanent annual report.

The Commission performs duties and functions in relation, but not limited to:

  • employment insurance
  • employment services
  • the development and utilization of labour market resources

 

Stakeholder Relations

The two Commissioners, for employers and workers, establish and maintain consultations and working relationships with a variety of private sector organizations and individuals that are clients of, or affected by, HRSDC programs and services, particularly with regard to EI. These relationships fulfill the representational responsibilities of the Commissioners and enable them to reflect internally the concerns and positions of the private sector regarding the administration of legislation, policy development and implementation, and program delivery.

Regulatory Updates

Pilot Project 15

On October 12, 2010, the Government re-introduced the Extended Employment Insurance (EI) Benefits pilot project, which provides EI claimants with an extra 5 weeks of EI regular benefits, to a maximum of 45 weeks, in 21 EI economic regions. This pilot project will end in all 21 participating EI economic regions on September 15, 2012, or earlier in regions where the unemployment rate is less than 8 percent for 12 consecutive periods.

Based on monthly unemployment data, the unemployment rate in the EI economic region of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador has been well below 8 percent for 12 consecutive months (October 2010 to September 2011). As a result, the Extended EI Benefits pilot project ended in this region on September 24, 2011. While the pilot project concluded in the EI economic region of St. John's, it will continue in the remaining participating EI economic regions. Claimants in this region will continue to be included in the Best 14 Weeks and Working While on Claim pilot projects.

Transitional Measures

Transitional measures were introduced in September 2000 to help workers in the EI economic regions of Madawaska–Charlotte, New Brunswick, and Lower St. Lawrence and North Shore, Quebec, adjust to the impacts of a revision to the EI regional boundaries. The transitional measures apply a higher unemployment rate than would otherwise be the case. As a result, claimants in the two regions may require fewer hours to qualify for EI and receive benefits for a longer period.

According to the EI Regulations, the transitional measures have ended in the EI economic regions of Madawaska-Charlotte and Lower St. Lawrence and North Shore, Quebec, as they have ceased to provide any advantage to claimants in these areas. Claimants residing in these regions will now have their eligibility for EI regular benefits determined based on the actual unemployment rate for their respective EI economic region.

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Date Modified:
2011-12-19