Policymakers discuss plan to expand employment insurance

SEJONG, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- Top economic policymakers on Wednesday discussed a plan to expand coverage of state employment insurance to non-regular workers in certain types of hiring, the finance ministry said.

In South Korea, employees in certain types of hiring, including insurance agents, tutors, golf caddies, parcel delivery service workers and cargo truck drivers, have been excluded from state employment insurance.

To put them under employment insurance coverage, policymakers discussed a plan to figure out their income data, the ministry said in a statement.

Relevant ministries will step up cooperation to develop the plan, the ministry said.

In July, the labor ministry said it will put all working citizens under employment insurance coverage by 2025 as part of its ambitious policy project aimed at overcoming the new coronavirus pandemic.

With the plan, some 21 million people are forecast to be covered by the state employment insurance scheme by 2025, compared with the current figure that falls short of 14 million.

The expansion is aimed at protecting temporary workers and freelancers who are regarded as being in a "blind spot" as they are not directly employed by companies and are not covered by employment insurance.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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