Korea Unemployment Benefit Calculator
Check the 2026 daily floor, ₩68,100 cap, benefit days, and basic eligibility—without entering a birth date.
- More accurate results
- Runs in your browser — files never leave your device
- Fewer clicks, keyboard friendly
For standard employees who separate in 2026. No date of birth or ID number is needed.
Saved in this browser onlyPay and working hours
Employment Insurance record
Age or disability at separation
High-level eligibility checks
2026 estimated job-seeker’s allowance
The three high-level checks you entered are met. Confirm the final decision with Employment Insurance.
180 insured-unit days entered
Non-disqualifying separation selected
Unemployed and seeking-work condition selected
Calculation basis
Applicable daily base 100,000 KRW × 60% = 60,000 KRW → floor 66,048 KRW → cap 68,100 KRW
66,048 KRW × 180 days = 11,888,640 KRW
The 2026 hourly minimum-wage floor is applied.
Reference estimate for ordinary employees only. Day workers, artists, labour providers, self-employed people, justified voluntary resignations, and special waiting periods need the official Work24 simulator or an Employment Center.
How to use
- Enter the daily average wage from your employment-separation confirmation or final three-month records, plus a known daily ordinary wage if it is higher.
- Set the daily contracted hours used to calculate the part-time statutory floor.
- Enter qualifying Employment Insurance coverage and insured-unit days, then choose the age/disability group.
- Confirm the three high-level eligibility checks and read the daily amount, prescribed days, and total estimate.
2026 daily amount: 60%, a floor, and a cap
For an ordinary employee, the Employment Insurance Act sets the job-seeker’s daily benefit at 60% of the applicable daily base. A verified daily ordinary wage replaces a lower average daily wage, while the 2026 daily base itself is capped at ₩113,500. The resulting benefit has a ₩68,100 daily cap for people who separate on or after January 1, 2026. The 2026 minimum wage is ₩10,320 per hour, so the daily floor is 80% × ₩10,320 × contracted hours: ₩66,048 at 8 hours and ₩33,024 at 4 hours. Sources checked October 23, 2026: Ministry of Employment and Labor’s December 16, 2025 Employment Insurance Enforcement Decree release, August 5, 2025 minimum-wage notice, and July 10, 2026 MOEL 1350 guidance.
How many days can be paid?
The prescribed benefit period depends on Employment Insurance coverage and age at separation. Under 50, it is 120 days below 1 year, 150 days for 1–3 years, 180 days for 3–5 years, 210 days for 5–10 years, and 240 days for 10 years or more. For people aged 50 or over, or registered disabled people, the same bands are 120, 180, 210, 240, and 270 days. Even when prescribed days remain, payment generally must be received within 12 months after separation. Sources checked October 23, 2026: Employment Insurance Act Articles 48 and 50 and Appendix 1, and the Ministry of Government Legislation’s Easy Law guide to job-seeker’s allowance.
What this estimate cannot decide
A general estimate cannot approve eligibility. Employment Insurance Act Article 40 requires at least 180 insured-unit days in the usual 18-month look-back period, unemployment despite ability and willingness to work, a non-disqualifying separation reason, and active re-employment effort. Paid-base days are not automatically the same as six calendar months. Earlier coverage is generally combined when the next insured job starts within three years, unless benefits were already paid for that earlier period. Sources checked October 23, 2026: Employment Insurance Act Articles 40 and 50, the Easy Law guide, and the official Work24 benefit simulator (work24.go.kr).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Korean unemployment benefit maximum in 2026?
For an ordinary employee who leaves in 2026, the statutory maximum job-seeker’s allowance is ₩68,100 per day. The calculator applies this cap after calculating 60% of the applicable daily base and comparing it with the statutory minimum; earlier separation years have different caps.
What is the 2026 minimum unemployment benefit in Korea?
The 2026 daily minimum is 80% of ₩10,320 times the daily contracted hours: ₩66,048 for 8 hours and ₩33,024 for 4 hours. The amount can differ for special employment types and individual official determinations.
Do six months of work guarantee Korean unemployment benefit?
No. The ordinary requirement is at least 180 insured-unit days in the applicable look-back period, not simply six calendar months. Unpaid days and the exact paid-base record can mean six months does not reach 180 days.
How long is Korean unemployment benefit paid?
Ordinary employees receive 120 to 270 prescribed benefit days depending on qualifying Employment Insurance coverage and whether they are under 50 or are 50 or over or registered disabled. The payment period normally starts after a 7-day waiting period and must be used within the statutory benefit period.
Does this calculator send my wage or eligibility information to a server?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and stores its optional restore state only in that browser. It does not ask for a birth date, resident-registration number, or account and does not send your entries to Betterbit.
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Updated 2026-10-23