Expansion of 'Seoul-type Employment Retention Subsidy' Targets ... Up to 9 People per Industry

All Small Business Enterprises Eligible... Application Period Extended to Twice a Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 19th that due to the rapid increase in damage to small business owners caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the 'Seoul-type Employment Retention Subsidy,' which was originally planned to support unpaid leave workers at businesses with fewer than five employees, will now be provided to all small business owners regardless of the number of employees.

Accordingly, workers at small business owners in the manufacturing, construction, and transportation sectors with 5 to fewer than 10 employees, who were previously excluded from support, will now be eligible for assistance.

The city also decided to expand the number of supported applicants per business from one to up to nine for manufacturing, construction, and transportation sectors, and up to four for other sectors. Small business owners who previously applied for only one worker can now apply additionally up to the maximum support limit by sector.

The Seoul-type Employment Retention Subsidy is funding to support employment stability and livelihood maintenance for workers at small business owners. If a worker takes unpaid leave, the subsidy provides 25,000 KRW per day, up to 500,000 KRW per month, for two months (based on 40 days of unpaid leave), with a maximum of 1,000,000 KRW as leave allowance.

The support target is workers enrolled in employment insurance at small business owners located in Seoul who have taken unpaid leave for five or more days since February 23, when COVID-19 was elevated to the 'serious' stage, regardless of the worker's address or nationality.

To receive the subsidy, applications must be submitted to the local district office where the small business is registered. The district office will directly deposit the subsidy into the supported worker's bank account.

The city accepts applications twice a month and provides support until the budget is exhausted. For businesses that applied between the 1st and 10th of this month, the first payment of the employment retention subsidy will be made on the 22nd, and the second payment will be made by the 29th after reviewing applications received between the 20th and 24th.

Applications can be made retroactively regardless of the application month. To prevent fraudulent claims, business owners must submit supporting documents such as the business registration certificate, small business confirmation, and employment insurance workplace acquisition list along with the application form (including unpaid leave confirmation).

For more details, contact the Seoul Metropolitan Government Job Policy Division at (2133-5343) or the relevant local district office's job-related department.

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