Canada announces 3-year freeze on employment insurance premiums

Workers and job creators will pocket millions, Flaherty says

OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced on Monday a three-year freeze on employment insurance (EI) premium rates at 2013 levels.

The rate for 2014 will be C$1.88 per C$100 of insurable earnings and the rate will be no higher than that level in 2015 and 2016, Flaherty said in an announcement.

"Our government is freezing EI rates and leaving C$660 million in the pockets of job creators and Canadian workers in 2014 alone," he said.

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