Ministry of Employment Provides 27.1 Billion KRW for Family Care Expenses... Over 84,000 Beneficiaries in Total

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that the emergency support fund disbursed to users of family care leave due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has exceeded 27.1 billion KRW.

The ministry stated on the 10th that from March 16, when applications for the family care cost emergency support fund began, until the 8th of this month, a total of 27.1 billion KRW was paid to approximately 83,776 people.

Applications were received at an average of 3,100 cases per day until the 8th of last month, but after the announcement on the 9th of last month to extend the support period from the existing 5 days to 10 days, the daily average number of applications increased to 3,800. The total number of applicants so far is 98,107.

By workplace size, the largest number of applicants was from workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, totaling 35,834 people (36.5%). This was followed by workplaces with 300 or more employees (29,564), 10?29 employees (14,167), 30?99 employees (10,251), and 100?299 employees (7,994). By industry, manufacturing had the highest number with 28,775 applicants, followed by health and social welfare services (14,304), and wholesale and retail trade (11,044).

By gender, women accounted for 64% and men 36%. By region, the Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Gangwon area had the most applicants with 36,446 people (37.1%), followed by the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam area with 16,583 (16.9%), and Seoul with 15,537 (15.8%).

The family care cost emergency support fund is provided to workers who took unpaid family care leave to care for children in second grade or below in elementary school or children aged 8 or younger (children with disabilities up to 18 years old) due to COVID-19-related delays in daycare centers and school openings.

The government announced a measure at the end of February to support family care costs at 50,000 KRW per day for up to 5 days (250,000 KRW) per person, and later extended the support period to up to 10 days (500,000 KRW) per person as school openings continued to be postponed.

Workers with children in kindergarten or first and second grades of elementary school can apply for the support fund if they use family care leave before the school reopening date on the 20th.

For children who became third graders this year, applications can be made if family care leave is used before the 27th, and for children attending daycare centers, applications can be made if family care leave is used before the reopening date separately designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

For more details about the support fund, visit the Ministry of Employment and Labor website, Facebook, or Appanet, or contact the Ministry of Employment and Labor Counseling Center at ☎1350.

Song Hong-seok, Director of the Integrated Employment Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "We will support family care costs even during the online school opening period," and added, "We will actively consider measures to support workers who use family care leave for children unable to attend school due to suspected COVID-19 symptoms after schools reopen."

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