Review of Extension for Employment Support in Travel and Tourism Sectors Affected by COVID-19

51st Emergency Economic Central Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting
Possibility of Support Continuing After March Next Year

On the 9th, when the spread of COVID-19 continued, arrivals were waiting at the arrival hall of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government has decided to review whether to extend employment support for industries struggling due to COVID-19, such as travel and tourism.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 30th, the government held the 51st Emergency Economic Central Countermeasures Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office and discussed next year's employment policy tasks, including this matter.

The special employment support industries responding to COVID-19 include 14 sectors: travel, tourism accommodation, tourism transportation, performance industry, aircraft handling industry, duty-free shops, exhibition and international conference industry, airport buses, film industry, training facilities, amusement facilities, foreigner-only casinos, aircraft parts manufacturing, and route buses.

The government provides subsidies and vocational training to these special employment support industries and offers financial support to workers. According to the plan, support for these industries will end on March 31 next year, but some sectors may continue to receive support afterward.

Additionally, the government plans to assist the influx of new workers and long-term retention in the shipbuilding industry, which is experiencing recruitment difficulties, and support transportation, accommodation, and insurance costs so that urban residents can help with rural work.

Companies hiring youth facing employment difficulties (about 140,000 people) will receive up to 9.6 million KRW per year (Youth Job Leap Incentive).

Next year, employers whose number of workers aged 60 or older increases compared to the average of the previous three years will receive 300,000 KRW per quarter per worker. Employers who newly hire disabled workers will receive 300,000 to 800,000 KRW per month for one year.

If both parents take parental leave for children under 12 months old, each will receive 100% of their ordinary wage (up to 3 million KRW per month) for the first three months. Until now, only one parent received 100%, and the spouse received 80%.

During the parental leave period from 4 to 12 months, each will receive 80% of their ordinary wage (up to 1.5 million KRW per month). Previously, they received 50% of their ordinary wage (up to 1.2 million KRW per month).

To reduce the management burden on small businesses and help stabilize employment for low-wage workers, employers hiring workers with a monthly average wage below 2.3 million KRW will receive 30,000 KRW per person per month for six months.

Next year, participants in the National Employment Support System who succeed in employment or start a business within three months will receive up to 3.5 million KRW from the government. This is to encourage rapid employment.

Kim Youngjung, Director of Employment Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "We will regularly check the progress of the tasks announced today through the Employment Policy Council and others," adding, "We will closely monitor changes due to additional COVID-19 spread and, if necessary, work with related ministries to make improvements."

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