Just the Facts
Partners’ uptake of parental benefits: An upward trend?
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In Canada, since the introduction of the sharable Parental Benefits Program (PBP) in 1990, it has been possible for both parents to take time away from paid work to care for a newborn or newly adopted child with partial earnings replacement (if eligible).
Since the introduction of this program in 1990, mothers have continued to take parental benefits at higher rates and for longer periods of time than their partners. Building on best practices in Quebec and other jurisdictions and on recommendations from the Canada-US Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders, Budget 2018 introduced a new Employment Insurance (EI) Parental Sharing Benefit top up for eligible parents (including adoptive and same-sex couples) who agree to share parental leave in order “to support equal parenting and foster greater gender equality in the home and in the workplace” (Budget 2018). Launched in March 2019, this new “use it or lose it” top up benefit provides, for parents who choose the standard parental benefit, an extra five weeks of parental benefits for a total of up to 40 weeks at 55% of income replacement when both parents agree to share parental leave (one parent cannot receive more than 35 weeks). For parents who choose the extended parental benefits, it provides an additional eight weeks for a total of up to 69 weeks of parental leave at 33% of income replacement (but one parent cannot receive more than 61 weeks).Note
Using the Employment Insurance Coverage Survey (EICS), this paper studies the share of spouses or partners (hereafter referred to as “partners”)Note of biological or adoptive mothersNote who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits from 2006 to 2022.
2022: The highest partners’ uptake of parental benefits in Canada
The share of partners who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits reached 47% in 2022 – the highest proportion since the EICS has collected information on maternity and parental benefits (Chart 1).
Data table for Chart 1
| Years | Percentage of insured partners who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits |
|---|---|
| percent | |
| 2006 | 20.0 |
| 2007 | 26.8 |
| 2008 | 28.2 |
| 2009 | 30.1 |
| 2010 | 29.6 |
| 2011 | 29.3 |
| 2012 | 25.4 |
| 2013 | 30.9 |
| 2014 | 27.1 |
| 2015 | 30.0 |
| 2016 | 29.9 |
| 2017 | 29.1 |
| 2018 | 31.3 |
| 2019 | 35.4 |
| 2020 | 32.1 |
| 2021 | 42.2 |
| 2022 | 46.6 |
| Source: Statistics Canada. Employment Insurance Coverage Survey. | |
The EICS has collected information on maternity and parental benefits since 2000. Data prior to 2006 are not shown in Chart 1 because there were changes in data collection, hence caution should be used when making comparisons of data prior to 2006.Note However, for information purposes, the proportion of partners who claimed or intended to claim EI parental benefits was about 3% in 2000 and it reached 8% in 2001 (when the number of shareable paid benefit weeks increased from 10 to 35 weeks), then it remained fairly stable, hovering around 12%, with a slight decrease in 2004, followed by an increase to 15% in 2005.
The proportion of partners who claimed or intended to claim benefits for the birth or adoption of their child rose to 20% in 2006 – a part of this increase may be explained by the introduction of the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.Note From 2007 to 2018, the partners’ uptake ranged between approximately 26% and 30% in Canada. It increased to 35% in 2019, the year when the new “take it or lose it” top up benefit came into force. It must be noted, however, that there were some parents that were not covered in the 2019 reference year as the benefit was available only to parents of children born or placed with them for adoption on or after March 17, 2019. The proportions of partners who took or intended to take parental benefit were 32% in 2020, 42% in 2021, and reached 47% in 2022. It should be noted that the reference years 2020, 2021 and 2022 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the eligibility criteria for all EI benefits, including maternity and parental benefits, were temporarily expanded in September 2020.Note Pre-pandemic eligibility criteria were partially re-introduced in September 2021 and completely re-introduced in September 2022.
While the COVID-19 pandemic, the temporary changes to the EI eligibility criteria, and the redesign of the survey questionnaire in 2020 have likely impacted the results of the survey, the recent increases and the peak reached in 2022 (47%) can likely be partially explained by the new “take it or lose it” top up benefit for partners and may indicate that a new upward trend is being formed, which the coming years may confirm.
It should also be noted that despite the recent rises in the partners’ uptake of parental benefits and the introduction of the latest top up benefit and other incentives to promote benefit sharing between partners, women in Canada continue to take parental benefits at a substantially higher rate than their partners. For example, 94% of mothers vs 47% of their partners claimed or intended to claim parental benefits in 2022 (Chart 2).
Data table for Chart 2
| Years | Percentage of insured mothers who received maternity or parental benefits | Percentage of insured partners or spouses who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| 2006 | 83.5 | 20.0 |
| 2007 | 85.9 | 26.8 |
| 2008 | 88.1 | 28.2 |
| 2009 | 88.0 | 30.1 |
| 2010 | 88.6 | 29.6 |
| 2011 | 88.6 | 29.3 |
| 2012 | 88.2 | 25.4 |
| 2013 | 91.9 | 30.9 |
| 2014 | 89.0 | 27.1 |
| 2015 | 87.2 | 30.0 |
| 2016 | 91.1 | 29.9 |
| 2017 | 89.9 | 29.1 |
| 2018 | 88.5 | 31.3 |
| 2019 | 90.3 | 35.4 |
| 2020 | 92.9 | 32.1 |
| 2021 | 92.1 | 42.2 |
| 2022 | 94.2 | 46.6 |
| Source: Statistics Canada. Employment Insurance Coverage Survey. | ||
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EI maternity and parental benefits milestones
In Canada, since 1971, mothers of a newborn (or of a newly-adopted child since 1984) with enough insurable weeks of employment have been able to claim up to 15 weeks of paid maternity leave under the Employment Insurance (EI) Program. In 1990, the Parental Benefits Program (PBP) introduced 10 weeks of paid leave available for sharing by qualifying parents for the care of their new child(ren). In 2001, two key changes were introduced. These were the increase in the number of shareable paid benefit weeks per family from 10 to 35 and the elimination of a second two-week unpaid waiting period when the PBP is shared between both parents. Since 2011, it has been possible for self-employed workers to access maternity and parental benefits by opting-in to the EI special benefits program. In 2017, the EI waiting period was reduced from two weeks to one week, and an 18-month parental leave option (extended parental benefit) was introduced. In March 2019, the government launched a new “use it or lose it” Parental Sharing Benefit top up. This top up benefit provides an extra five (or eight) weeks of parental benefits (depending on the benefit duration option chosen) to families when the second parent agrees to take a minimum of five (or eight) weeks of parental leave. Finally, the 2023 Fall Economic Statement announced a new Employment Insurance adoption benefit, which would provide 15 weeks of shareable benefits to adoptive parents.
1940 - No benefits for parents
In 1940, the Unemployment Insurance Act was introduced in Canada, but it did not provide leave benefits for parents.
1971 - Maternity leave benefit introduced
Amendments introduced to the Unemployment Insurance Act provided mothers who had enough insurable weeks of employment with up to 15 weeks of paid maternity leave.
1984 - The maternity leave benefit was extended to mothers of adopted children.
1990 - Introduction of the Parental Benefits Program (PBP), available to biological and adoptive parents. Of note, adoptive mothers became ineligible for the maternity benefit as they qualified for the PBP.
2001 - Increase in the number of shareable paid benefit weeks under the PBP from 10 to 35 and extension of the PBP to same-sex couples.
2011 - PBP became available to self-employed individuals.
2017 - Introduction of an 18-month extended parental benefit option.
2019 - Parental Sharing Benefit introduced - Provides parents who share parental benefits with an extra 5 weeks of benefits (or 8 weeks for those who chose the 18-month extended option).
2023 - Announcement of a new adoption benefit – Intends to provide parents through adoption or surrogacy with a 15-week shareable benefit.
Partners in Quebec take parental leave benefits at a higher rate than those in the rest of Canada
Canada currently has two maternity and parental benefit programs for the care of newborns or newly adopted children: a federal program administered through EI; and, since 2006, a provincial program exclusive to residents of Quebec. The Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) has lower eligibility criteria and a higher maximum for insurable income than the federal program (Appendix A). The Quebec plan has also had a paternity leave benefit, strictly dedicated to partners, since it has come into force. As a result, there have been differences in parents’ coverage, eligibility and use of paid maternity and parental leave benefits between the province of Quebec and the rest of Canada.Note
Under QPIP, Quebec has had, historically, a higher share of parents with insurable employment and a higher proportion of insured parents receiving maternity or parental benefits than the Canadian average. For example, according to the EICS, virtually all parents (99%) in Quebec took or planned to take benefits in 2022, while it was 92% for insured parents in the rest of Canada (RoC). The share of partners who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits has also been higher in Quebec (Chart 3). In 2022, 93% of eligible partners living in Quebec claimed or intended to claim benefits for the birth or adoption of their child versus 31% for partners in the RoC.
Data table for Chart 3
| Years | QC - Insured partners who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits | RoC - Insured partners who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| 2006 | 48.4 | 9.7 |
| 2007 | 73.6 | 9.6 |
| 2008 | 74.9 | 10.4 |
| 2009 | 79.1 | 12.8 |
| 2010 | 77.6 | 11.0 |
| 2011 | 83.9 | 11.0 |
| 2012 | 80.1 | 9.4 |
| 2013 | 83.0 | 12.2 |
| 2014 | 78.3 | 9.4 |
| 2015 | 85.8 | 11.9 |
| 2016 | 80.1 | 12.9 |
| 2017 | 81.2 | 11.9 |
| 2018 | 79.6 | 15.0 |
| 2019 | 85.6 | 20.6 |
| 2020 | 78.1 | 19.5 |
| 2021 | 76.6 | 29.9 |
| 2022 | 92.9 | 31.3 |
| Source: Statistics Canada. Employment Insurance Coverage Survey. | ||
In fact, before the introduction of the new federal “use it or lose it” top up benefit for parents, the partners’ uptake in the RoC ranged between approximately 9% and 13%, with an increase to 15% in 2018. Starting in 2019 (when the new top up benefit was introduced), this proportion reached 21% in 2019, 20% in 2020, 30% in 2021, and 31% in 2022. While these increases are notable, the proportion of partners in the RoC who claimed or intended to claim parental benefits remained lower than the rate of partners in Quebec.
Looking ahead
Research suggests that a more balanced share of parental leave could lead to a more equal division of household and caring tasks and may reduce gender gaps in both employment and earnings – which are influenced by persisting inequalities in caring responsibilities between men and women, with women still taking on a larger portion of these responsibilities (Andersen, 2018; O’Brien et al., 2017; UN DESA, 2016; Statistics Canada, 2023; De Laat et al., 2023). “Equal sharing of parenting roles and family responsibilities” is one of the indicators of the Government of Canada’s Gender Results Framework and it is also linked to Canada’s care economy project aimed at better defining, measuring and understanding both unpaid and paid care work. In this context, it is relevant to continue tracking the partners’ uptake of parental benefits to confirm if the recent increases are part of a new upward trend.
Note to readers
The Employment Insurance Coverage Survey (EICS) provides an overview of who does or does not have access to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. This includes both regular benefits and, since 2000, maternity and parental benefits. Important changes to the questionnaire make it difficult to draw comparisons between the data collected before and after 2005. Starting in 2020, the questionnaire and survey population were redesigned to reflect changes in the EI maternity and parental benefits program. The survey population of parents was expanded to include parents of infants aged 18 months or younger (rather than 1 year or younger) and fathers in families without mothers (please consult the Summary of changes to the questionnaire for more details). Also, in September 2020, the eligibility criteria for all EI benefits, including maternity and parental benefits, were temporarily changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-pandemic eligibility criteria were partially re-introduced in September 2021 and completely re-introduced in September 2022.
In Canada, birth and adoptive parents, regardless of their sex, gender, marital status or sexual orientation, have access to parental benefits as long as they meet specific criteria concerning their employment situation. In the EICS, the gender of the respondent is known, but the gender of the respondent’s spouse is unknown. The EICS sample is a sub-sample of individuals of the Labour Force Survey (LFS), from which we can see that the proportion of potential EICS respondents who are in same-gender couples is very small.
Appendix A
| Type of benefits | Maximum weeks | Benefit rate | Weekly maximum (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MaternityTable 1 Note 1 |
15 weeks | 55% | $668 |
|
|||
| Type of benefits | Maximum weeks | Benefit rates | Maximum gross weekly earnings (2023) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Plan | Special Plan | Basic Plan | Special Plan | ||
| MaternityTable 2 Note 1 | 18 weeks | 15 weeks | 70% | 75% | 75% - $1,355 70% - $1,265 |
Government of Quebec. 2023. Québec Parental Insurance Plan Evolving with today’s parents! |
|||||
| Type of benefits | Maximum weeks | Benefit rates | Weekly maximum (2023) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard parental | Extended parental | Standard parental | Extended parental | Standard parental | Extended parental | |
| ParentalTable 3 Note 1 | 35 weeks + 5 weeks of Parental Sharing Benefit (i.e., total of up to 40 weeks can be shared between parents, but one parent cannot receive more than 35 weeks) |
61 weeks + 8 weeks of Parental Sharing Benefit (i.e. total of up to 69 weeks can be shared between parents, but one parent cannot receive more than 61 weeks of extended benefits) |
55% | 33% | $668 | $401 |
|
||||||
| Type of benefits | Maximum weeks | Benefit rates | Maximum gross weekly earnings (2023) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Plan | Special Plan | Basic Plan | Special Plan | ||
| PaternityTable 4 Note 1 | 5 weeks | 3 weeks | 70% | 75% | 75% - $1,355 70% - $1,265 |
| ParentalTable 4 Note 2 | 32 weeks + 4 weeks once 8 parental benefit weeks have been paid to each parent |
25 weeks + 3 weeks once 6 weeks of parental benefit have been paid to each parent |
|
75% | 75% - $1,355 70% - $1,265 55% - $994 |
| Parental for multiple birthsTable 4 Note 3 | 5 weeks | 3 weeks | 70% | 75% | 75% - $1,355 70% - $1,265 |
Government of Quebec. 2023. Québec Parental Insurance Plan Evolving with today’s parents! |
|||||
References
Anderson, Signe Hald. 2018. “Paternity Leave and the Motherhood Penalty: New Causal Evidence” in Journal of Marriage and Family, Volume 80, Issue 5.
Besporstov, Sandy and Amanda Sinclair. 2022. “Estimating the economic value of unpaid household work in Canada, 2015 to 2019” in Latest Developments in Canadian Economics Accounts, Statistics Canada, catalogue no. 13-605-X.
Conseil du statut de la femme. 2015. Pour un partage équitable du congé parental. Québec : Government of Quebec.
De Laat, Kim, Doucet, Andrea and Alyssa Gerhardt. 2023. “More than employment policies? Parental leaves, flexible work and fathers’ participation in unpaid care work” in Community, Work & Family, Volume 26, Issue 5.
Department of Finance. 2018. Budget 2018. Equality + Growth – A Strong Middle Class, Department of Finance Canada, catalogue no. F1-23/3E-PDF.
Government of Canada. EI maternity and parental benefits: What these benefits offer - Canada.ca
Government of Quebec. 2022. A Practical Guide: Québec Parental Insurance Plan. Québec: Government of Quebec.
Government of Quebec. Québec Parental Insurance Plan Evolving with today’s parents!
O’Brien, Margaret and Karin Wall (ed.). 2017. Comparative Perspectives on Work-Life Balance and Gender Equality: Fathers on Leave Alone | SpringerLink, Springer Open.
OECD. 2014. Unpaid Care work: The Missing Link in the Analysis of Gender Gaps in Labour Outcomes. OECD Development Centre.
Statistics Canada. 2022. “State of the union: Canada leads the G7 with nearly one-quarter of couples living common law, driven by Quebec” in The Daily, Statistics Canada, catalogue no. 11-001-X.
Statistics Canada. 2023. “Providing care in Canada, 2022”, in Infographics, Statistics Canada, catalogue no. 11-627-M.
UN DESA. 2016. Summary of the Proceedings – 2016 Family Expert Group Meeting. Division for Social Policy and Development.
UN Women. 2018. Promoting women’s economic empowerment: Recognizing and investing in the care economy, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women): Issue Paper.
Wray, Dana, Badets, Jane, Keating, Norah and Janet Fast. 2023. “Canada’s Care Economy: A Conceptual Framework” in Spotlight on Canadians: Results from the General Social Survey, Statistics Canada catalogue no. 89-652-X.
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