EI Regions on PEI

This is a federal government issue, but one I get questions about. There are two Employment Insurance (EI) regions on PEI, and they have different "characteristics" based on their different unemployment rates (for period Feb 12, 2017 to Mar 11, 2017 below):

Charlottetown (7.6% unemployment rate)
Prince Edward Island (13.3% unemployment rate)

Here is the link on the Federal government site where you can input out postal code (e.g. C0A 1N0) to see the breakdown for your area. http://srv129.services.gc.ca/eiregions/eng/postalcode_search.aspx My MP's office said that if a postal code contains two different EI regions - which C0A 1N0 does - then the region with the highest unemployment rate applies. However, for Lot 23 search results which include where I live in New Glasgow (see Lot 23 on Google Maps), it is the Charlottetown EI region that is returned. If you are in this situation, I recommend you contact your local MP's office to clarify. In Malpeque MP Wayne Easter's office can be contacted at: 902.964.2428 wayne.easter@parl.gc.ca 4283 Rte 13, Unit 1 Hunter River, PE C0A 1N0 Here is a comparison between the two regions on PEI. Obviously it is easier for people to qualify for benefits in the PEI EI region where one needs 420 hours as compared to Charlottetown EI region's 630 hours. Number of Insured Hours Required to Qualify for Regular Benefits 630 - Charlottetown 420 - PEI Minimum Number of Weeks Payable for Regular Benefits 17 - Charlottetown 26 - PEI Maximum Number of Weeks Payable for Regular Benefits 40 - Charlottetown 45 - PEI Number of Best Weeks Required for Benefit Calculation 20 - Charlottetown 14 - PEI