Question Period Note: EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CALL CENTRES STANDARDS

How is Service Canada leveraging investments to improve access and reduce wait times in its Employment Insurance call centres?

• Service Canada Call Centres, including the Employment Insurance Call Centre, are a critical part of the Government’s service to Canadians.

• The Department continuously works to align call handling capacity to the call volume to ensure workers have timely access to the information and support they require. While Service Canada continues to look for ways to enhance the client experience and reduce wait times, workers may still experience longer wait times to reach an Employment Insurance Call Centre officer during peak periods.

The Department continuously works to align call handling capacity to the call volume.

In 2025-26, as of the week ending May 16, 2025, the EI Call Centre answered 710,000 calls with an average annual wait time of 1.4 minutes, compared to 770,000 calls and an average wait time of 4.5 minutes for the same period in 2024-25, and 740,000 calls and an average wait time of 2.1 minutes in 2023-24.

The EI Call Centre’s service level target is answering 80% of calls within 10 minutes. As of the week ending May 16, 2025, the month-to-date service level stood at 99.46% while the year-to-date result stood at 94.82%, compared to 90.02% and 85.76%, respectively, for the same period in 2024-25, and 99.71% and 92.16% respectively in 2023-24.

While the EI Call Centre continues to find innovative ways to enhance the client experience, certain peak periods are expected to result in an influx of call volumes and longer wait times for workers.

If pressed (Access)
• Individuals can use one of Service Canada’s online or telephone self-service options to obtain general program information or consult their account, allowing them to resolve enquiries without waiting to speak to a representative.

• Service Canada now offers virtual hold, where clients waiting to speak to an officer can be called back when they are the next in line. This feature launched for the Employment Insurance Call Centre in fall 2024.

If pressed (Teletypewriter Service)
• Service Canada offers a teletypewriter (TTY) service for speech and hearing-impaired clients to access the Employment Insurance program.

• In August 2024, Service Canada implemented a new solution that modernizes the teletypewriter service by allowing calls to be answered directly by an officer rather than leaving a message.