Korea unemployment benefit calculator
Estimate your unemployment benefit (실업급여): the daily amount, the number of days, and the total.
Unemployment benefit estimator
Estimate your Korean unemployment benefit (실업급여) with the 2026 rules: 60% of your average daily wage, for 120 to 270 days.
Your employment center (고용센터) checks your insured days when you apply.
Include earlier insured jobs if this job started within 3 years after the earlier one ended and you did not receive unemployment benefit for that earlier job.
Add up your pay for the last 3 months before tax, then divide by 3.
The minimum daily amount is based on these hours.
Answer every question to see your estimate.
Estimate under the Employment Insurance Act (고용보험법) with 2026 figures. The employment center (고용센터) decides eligibility and the real amount. It uses the exact number of days in your last 3 months, and your ordinary wage (통상임금) if that is higher. For information only.
How Korean unemployment benefit works
Unemployment benefit (실업급여) is paid from Korea's employment insurance (고용보험) fund. The main payment is the job-seeking benefit (구직급여). You do not get it automatically: you register as a job seeker at an employment center (고용센터) and file a claim.
Who can get it
- At least 180 insured days in the 18 months before your last day.
- You are unemployed while willing and able to work.
- Your reason for leaving is not a disqualifying one. Quitting for personal reasons generally blocks the benefit.
- You keep looking for work and report your job search as the employment center asks.
The daily amount
The daily benefit is 60% of your average daily wage (평균임금): the pay you received in the 3 months before you left, divided by the number of days in those 3 months. Two 2026 limits apply:
- Daily cap: ₩68,100. The base wage is capped at ₩113,500 a day, and 60% of that is ₩68,100.
- Daily floor for an 8-hour day: ₩66,048. That is the 2026 minimum wage of ₩10,320 an hour × 8 hours × 80%. A shorter contract day gives a lower floor.
Because the floor and cap are close in 2026, anyone on an 8-hour contract day gets between ₩66,048 and ₩68,100 a day.
How many days
Benefit days depend on your age on your last day and how long you were insured.
| Insured period | Under 50 | 50+ or disability |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 120 days | 120 days |
| 1 to 3 years | 150 days | 180 days |
| 3 to 5 years | 180 days | 210 days |
| 5 to 10 years | 210 days | 240 days |
| 10 years or more | 240 days | 270 days |
Which visas are covered
- Covered by law: F-5, F-2 and F-6 holders covered by Immigration Act Enforcement Decree Article 23(2), and D-7, D-8 and D-9 holders when their home country gives Korean nationals the same kind of insurance.
- Covered only after an application: F-4, and work visas under Article 23(1) such as E-1 to E-7, E-10 and C-4.
- E-9 and H-2: the unemployment-benefit chapter applies only when an application was made. Confirm with the employment center.
Want the claim steps?
Our guide walks through the claim steps, the separation certificate (이직확인서), and what to do if you and your employer disagree about why you left.
Frequently asked questions
How much unemployment benefit will I get in Korea?
The daily benefit is 60% of your average daily wage (평균임금). In 2026 the daily amount is capped at ₩68,100 (the ₩113,500 base cap × 60%). The floor for an 8-hour contract day is ₩66,048 (the 2026 minimum wage of ₩10,320 × 8 hours × 80%). Multiply the daily amount by your benefit days to get the total. At the floor for 120 days, the total is ₩7,925,760.
How many days of unemployment benefit can I get?
Between 120 and 270 days, set by your age on your last day and how long you were insured. Under 50: 120 days (less than 1 year insured), 150 days (1 to 3 years), 180 days (3 to 5 years), 210 days (5 to 10 years), 240 days (10 years or more). Age 50 or older, or a person with a disability: 120, 180, 210, 240 and 270 days for the same bands.
Who can get unemployment benefit (구직급여)?
You need at least 180 insured days in the 18 months before your last day. You must be unemployed while willing and able to work, actively looking for a new job, and your reason for leaving must not be a disqualifying one. You generally do not qualify if you quit for personal reasons.
Can foreign residents get unemployment benefit in Korea?
It depends on your visa. The whole Employment Insurance Act (고용보험법) applies to F-5 holders, to F-2 and F-6 holders covered by Immigration Act Enforcement Decree Article 23(2), and to D-7, D-8 and D-9 holders when their home country gives Korean nationals the same kind of insurance. F-4 holders and work visas under Article 23(1), such as E-1 to E-7, E-10 and C-4, are covered only if an insurance application was made. For E-9 and H-2 workers, the unemployment-benefit chapter applies only when an application was made.
What happens if my visa is about to expire?
For foreign workers outside the E-9 and H-2 system, coverage takes account of the activities your residence status allows and your stay period. If your stay period is close to expiry, contact the employment center (고용센터) and immigration before it ends.
How do I start a claim?
Ask your former employer for a separation certificate (이직확인서). The employer must issue it within 10 days of your request. Then register as a job seeker at your local employment center. For help, call the Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) on 1350, weekdays 09:00 to 18:00. English and Chinese phone help is available.