College students who manage studying and a part-time job at the same time will become eligible for unemployment benefits from now on when they lose their job, the government said Tuesday. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Korea Bizwire) - College students who manage studying and a part-time job at the same time will become eligible for unemployment benefits from now on when they lose their job, the government said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor said it revised the guidelines on unemployment allowances to lower the barriers for students who are enrolled in schools.
Employees who work over 15 hours a week or 60 hours a month, as well as those who work less than 60 hours a month for over three months to earn a living, can apply for unemployment insurance that provides the benefits.
Previously, students who took more than 12 credits a semester in the daytime were excluded from the safety net, as they were seen more as a student than a jobless person, the ministry said. Students were only eligible for the allowances if they were enrolled in evening schools or on a leave of absence or vacation.
The expansion of the unemployment benefits reflects an increasing number of students who work and study at the same time. It also aims to prevent employers from avoiding to provide insurance to their student employees.
(Yonhap)
