"Let's Give Unemployment Benefits to Those Who Find Jobs Quickly and Stay Long-Term"... Petition Takes Aim at Compensation for 'Voluntary Resignations'

Citizen proposal on policy to provide unemployment benefits even after voluntary resignation

Amid reports that the government is considering providing job-seeking benefits once in a person's lifetime to people under 35 who voluntarily leave their jobs, a proposal has been posted on e-People calling for the government to consider rewards for reemployment and long-term employment instead of paying unemployment benefits.

A post titled "We Call for a Comprehensive Review of Unemployment Benefits and the National Employment Support System and a Shift to an Employment and Long-Service Reward-Based Support System" was recently posted on the government's online petition system, Cheongwon 24.

The author began by saying, "The government's current employment support programs serve the important purpose of protecting the livelihoods of the unemployed and vulnerable groups and helping them find new jobs. This is not a denial of the need for the social safety net itself." The author then questioned whether the current support programs are actually promoting employment among the public.

The author said, "If the perceived benefits of support available after leaving a job become greater than the financial rewards of staying employed, some people may have an incentive to quit rather than remain in long-term employment," and proposed designing the system with this possibility in mind. The author argued that the system should focus on checking whether recipients of financial support actually find work, how long they stay employed after finding a job, and whether they can support themselves after the assistance ends.

The author proposed offering the maximum reward to those who find a new job within a month of becoming unemployed, with payments decreasing as the period of unemployment grows. The proposal would have the reward set aside in a government account rather than paid immediately after reemployment, and then disbursed as a lump sum if the recipient stays at the new job for at least two years.

The author stressed, "As plans to extend unemployment benefits to young people who voluntarily leave their jobs have recently been discussed, concerns have also been raised that unemployment benefits could be perceived as an 'allowance' and reduce people's motivation to work. Unemployment benefits should not be 'money you can get when you quit,' but a temporary safety net to help people find new jobs after an unavoidable job loss."

The author also argued that, since government finances are not unlimited, greater benefits should go to workers who actually pay taxes, and that a system should be created to "give more to people who are employed." Support should be based not merely on whether someone has found a job, but on their actual length of service and earned income. The author also said that people who repeatedly leave jobs after receiving support should face restrictions on assistance for a set period or more rigorous screening. The apparent aim is to guard against support for voluntary resignations creating an incentive for people to change jobs prematurely.

Earlier, in its report in August, the government said it would pursue a plan to provide job-seeking benefits once in a person's lifetime to people under 35, even if they voluntarily change jobs. The aim is to help people avoid giving up on a career change because of the financial burden, even when they leave a job because the duties or working conditions at their first workplace are unsuitable. At the time, the plan was reportedly being considered at 60% of the wages earned before leaving the job, up to a maximum of 1 million won per month. However, the relevant program's budget was not included in the 2027 government budget proposal approved at a Cabinet meeting on September 1.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.