During the economic crunch of the Great Depression, Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's government in 1934 devised an insurance program to help carry workers struggling through periods of unemployment.

The program, called the Employment and Social Insurance Act of 1935, was instantly divisive, hotly debated and ultimately short-lived.

When Bennett was voted out that year, the newly elected government of Mackenzie King scrapped the program a few short months after it was introduced on the grounds that such a scheme should fall under provincial jurisdiction.

In all of its later incarnations, the program now known as employment insurance has proved to be something of a political hot potato. In 1941, critics of the Unemployment Insurance Act cautioned that it might discourage workers from seeking out employment. Under the program, workers who paid into the fund for at least 180 days over two years were eligible to apply for benefits. By the end of the decade, claimants with dependants were eligible to receive $18.30 weekly and those without dependants were eligible for $14.40, according to Statistics Canada.

More sweeping changes were introduced in the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1971. Coverage expanded significantly with only self-employed workers excluded from claiming benefits. The new act also introduced measures offering maternity, sick leave, and retirement benefits for workers who had completed 20 weeks of work before filing a claim.

Eligibility requirements changed again in 1971 with the introduction of the variable entrance requirement (VER), a standard that linked eligibility with the number of weeks of work completed and the unemployment rate in the region.

The Liberal government renamed unemployment insurance in 1996, calling the new program employment insurance. The revised program changed its qualification system, requiring workers to have completed a certain number of hours of work instead of a certain number of weeks. The government shortened the duration of benefits from 50 weeks to 46. The maximum weekly benefit also fell to $413 from $448.

When Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff in 2009 called for a temporary, national EI eligibility threshold of 360 hours of employment in the prior 52 weeks, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said such a reform could lead to a "45-day-a-year work week."

Calls for a single national standard

Ignatieff says he wants a single national standard for EI during the ongoing recession. Currently, the eligibility criteria vary by region across the country, from 420 hours worked in Gander, N.L., to 700 hours in Winnipeg, and up to 910 hours of work for people who are just joining or re-entering the labour market.

The Liberals are seeking a uniform eligibility standard of 360 hours. The Liberals cited a TD Economics report that challenged the traditional concept that workers in areas with high unemployment rates faced a more difficult time finding jobs as compared with those in regions with low unemployment rates. The report said in an economic downturn both groups of workers face comparable challenges.

In May 2009, the number of Canadians collecting employment insurance benefits climbed to 778,700 — its highest point in 12 years.

"Since employment peaked in October 2008, the number of regular EI beneficiaries has risen by 278,300, or 55.6 per cent, with increases in all provinces and territories," Statistics Canada said.

A working group is now examining possible changes to EI. A report is expected to be returned to the Prime Minister's Office by Sept. 28, before it will be presented to the House of Commons.

Unemployment rates rising

For the growing ranks of unemployed Canadians, the issue is highly personal. Canada's unemployment rate rose to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent in May as the country lost 41,800 jobs, Statistics Canada reported in early June. Sharp losses were felt in the manufacturing sector with 58,000 jobs lost. The transportation and warehousing sectors also lost a significant number of jobs.

Regionally, Ontario's jobless rate climbed to a 15-year high of 9.4 per cent, with 60,000 jobs lost. Employment increased in Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan

Economists noted that while the job losses have slowed, the unemployment rate is expected to continue to climb.

"Even though we might get some bottoming in the economy over the next quarter or two, that unemployment rate risks moving higher in 2010," TD Bank economist Derek Burleton said.

Here's how Canadians can apply for EI under the current system:

The number of insurable hours or weeks payable you need to qualify for employment insurance are based on where you live in Canada and the unemployment rate in your economic region.

The federal government says the economic regions ensure that people residing in areas of similar unemployment levels face comparable EI rules.

Generally speaking, the lower the unemployment rate in an economic region, the more hours a person needs to work to qualify for EI benefits.

Canada is divided into 58 economic regions, which were established in July 2000. The Department of Human Resources and Skills Development conducted a review of the regions in 2008, and decided to leave the boundaries where they are. The next review is scheduled to take place in 2013.

The following table shows the unemployment rates and wait times for Canada's economic regions for the period ending June 6, 2009.

Province or territory	Economic region name	Unemployment rate	Number of insured hours required to qualify for regular benefits	Minimum number of weeks payable for regular benefits	Maximum number of weeks payable for regular benefits
Newfoundland and Labrador	St. John's	7.5	630	22	45
Newfoundland and Labrador	Newfoundland/Labrador	20.7	420	37	50
Prince Edward Island	Prince Edward Island	12.2	455	29	50
Nova Scotia	Eastern Nova Scotia	15.5	420	35	50
Nova Scotia	Western Nova Scotia	10.6	525	26	50
Nova Scotia	Halifax	6	700	19	41
New Brunswick	Fredericton-Moncton-Saint John	6.2	665	20	43
New Brunswick	Madawaska-Charlotte	11.5	490	28	50
New Brunswick	Restigouche-Albert	15.2	420	35	50
Quebec	Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine	17.4	420	37	50
Quebec	Quebec	4.4	700	19	41
Quebec	Trois-Rivières	8	630	22	45
Quebec	South Central Quebec	7	665	20	43
Quebec	Sherbrooke	7.5	630	22	45
Quebec	Montérégie	9	595	23	47
Quebec	Montreal	9	595	23	47
Quebec	Central Quebec	9.4	560	25	49
Quebec	North Western Quebec	12.5	455	29	50
Quebec	Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore	12.4	455	29	50
Quebec	Hull	5.7	700	19	41
Quebec	Chicoutimi-Jonquière	8.9	595	23	47
Ontario	Ottawa	5.6	700	19	41
Ontario	Eastern Ontario	8.3	595	23	47
Ontario	Kingston	5.9	700	19	41
Ontario	Central Ontario	10	560	25	49
Ontario	Oshawa	7.8	630	22	45
Ontario	Toronto	8.9	595	23	47
Ontario	Hamilton	7.9	630	22	45
Ontario	St. Catharines	10.5	525	26	50
Ontario	London	9.6	560	25	49
Ontario	Niagara	10.6	525	26	50
Ontario	Windsor	13.4	420	31	50
Ontario	Kitchener	10.1	525	26	50
Ontario	Huron	10.2	525	26	50
Ontario	South Central Ontario	8	630	22	45
Ontario	Sudbury	8.4	595	23	47
Ontario	Thunder Bay	8.9	595	23	47
Ontario	Northern Ontario	12.4	455	29	50
Manitoba	Winnipeg	4.9	700	19	41
Manitoba	Southern Manitoba	5.8	700	19	41
Manitoba	Northern Manitoba	26.6	420	37	50
Saskatchewan	Regina	4.3	700	19	41
Saskatchewan	Saskatoon	5	700	19	41
Saskatchewan	Southern Saskatchewan	6.7	665	20	43
Saskatchewan	Northern Saskatchewan	16.1	420	37	50
Alberta	Calgary	6.4	665	20	43
Alberta	Edmonton	5.5	700	19	41
Alberta	Northern Alberta	10.2	525	26	50
Alberta	Southern Alberta	7.1	630	22	45
British Columbia	Southern Interior British Columbia	10	560	25	49
British Columbia	Abbotsford	7	665	20	43
British Columbia	Vancouver	6.7	665	20	43
British Columbia	Victoria	6.7	665	20	43
British Columbia	Southern Coastal British Columbia	8.2	595	23	47
British Columbia	Northern British Columbia	12.8	455	29	50
Yukon	Yukon	25	420	37	50
Northwest Territories	Northwest Territories	25	420	37	50
Nunavut	Nunavut	25	420	37	50