An Evaluation of Public Responses Taken in the Area of Employment Safety Nets After Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In response to post-COVID-19 employment shocks, the government announced a plan to expand the employment safety net, which consists of the National Employment Insurance and the National Employment Support System, and provided emergency employment security support to vulnerable groups that were left excluded from the employment insurance, such as dependent self-employed and freelance workers. The employment insurance now covers artists and dependent self-employed, who were previously excluded. The National Employment Support System was implemented in 2021 to assist vulnerable employees who are not eligible for employment insurance. Although the system has been expanded with a stronger legal foundation to benefit more people than the previous Employment Success Package Program allowed, it still needs to strengthen its role to meet the increasing demand. The Emergency Employment Stability Grant, the first cash support program intended for vulnerable people who are left ineligible for employment insurance, is expected to fill any gaps that may arise in the system in a crisis situation, supplementing the role of employment insurance and the National Employment Support System as medium-to long-term employment safety nets.