Employment Insurance - EI

In the U.S., we typically talk about "unemployment insurance." For some reason, Canada refers to the program as "employment insurance." Oh, those Canadians. Always taking the more upbeat angle.

By the name, you might think that Canadians seek to insure themselves against the bleak prospect of one day having a job. But, uh...nope. It's just a different name for the same basic program we have here in the U.S.

As described by the Canadian government, employment insurance gives benefits to people who have lost their job "through no fault of their own," such as layoffs, a shortage of work, or their pet elephant stampeding through the stock room.