Employment Services Eligibility
Am I Eligible?
You must be legally allowed to work in British Columbia and be unemployed or underemployed.
You are also eligible if you are employed or self-employed in a job that:
- Is unlikely to continue long-term and has irregular hours of work (e.g., casual work, on-call work).
- Has unreliable pay (e.g., piecework, commission) that does not provide enough income to support you or your family.
What Does Unemployed Mean?
- You do not have a job or are not self-employed.
- You are not attached to an employer (i.e., you are not on paid or unpaid leave).
- You are working an average of less than 20 hours per week and looking for full-time employment.
- You have received a lay-off notice.
- You must leave your job for medical reasons.
Persons with disabilities who are:
- At significant risk of losing a job.
- Working more than 20 hours per week and would like to work more hours to achieve a higher level of self-sufficiency.
- A student in the last year of high school or post-secondary school.
Youth (16–30 years old) who are:
- Finished high school or post-secondary school and not planning to return to school.
- Of legal school leaving age in B.C.
- Transitioning from the school system to the labour market.
What Does Underemployed Mean?
- Your total income is below the poverty line for your community.
- You are working in an industry or job that is likely to be replaced by technology or automation in the near future.
- Your job is below your qualifications or skills with no hope for promotion.
- You may need to leave your job for a justifiable reason.