To all Chairpersons and Members of Employment Insurance Boards of Referees

“Changes to E.I. Maximum Insured Earning and Benefits Rate for 2007” is available in PDF format - the file can be opened with the freely available Acrobat Reader.

Subject: Changes to Employment Insurance Maximum Insured Earnings and Benefit Rate for 2007

We are writing to inform you of changes to the 2007 maximum insured earnings and benefit rate set for Employment Insurance (EI), which were announced on November 6, 2006

Effective January 1, 2007, the annual maximum insured earnings will increase to $40,000 from the existing $39,000. As a result, the maximum weekly EI benefit rate will increase to $423 from the current amount of $413.

The EI premium rate will be set at $1.80 for every $100 of salary up to $40,000. The corresponding employer rate will be adjusted to $2.52. For Quebec, the EI premium rate will be $1.46 for employees and $2.04 for employers. This lower premium rate is due to Quebec's delivery of its own parental benefits since January 2006.

The news announcement can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=253399

Patricia (Trish) Blackstaffe Commissioner (Workers) (819) 994-6205 trish.blackstaffe@hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca

May Morpaw Director Employment Insurance Appeals (819) 997-6298 may.morpaw@servicecanada. gc.ca

André Piché Commissioner (Employers) (819) 994-6115 andre.piche@hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca