Career Gap Cost Calculator

You must apply within 12 months of your resignation date — remaining benefit days are forfeited after that window. This calculator caps benefit days to the gap period: a 1-month (30-day) gap results in at most 30 days of benefits regardless of your tenure-based maximum. Involuntary leavers have a 7-day waiting period; voluntary leavers (with employer fault recognized) may wait up to 4 weeks before payments begin.

Workers who have accumulated at least 180 insured days under Employment Insurance and left employment involuntarily — due to layoff (Recommended resignation), contract expiry, or wage arrears — are eligible to apply for Unemployment benefit (Jobseeker allowance). The number of benefit days varies by age and length of service, ranging from a minimum of 120 days to a maximum of 270 days. The daily benefit is calculated as a set percentage of average pre-retirement pay, with upper and lower caps adjusted annually by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. For exact figures, refer to the official Employment Insurance guidance.

After leaving employment you lose employer-insured status and become a locally insured individual, meaning you must pay National Pension and Health Insurance (NHIS) premiums in full. If you have no income, you can apply for a National Pension contribution exemption. For health insurance, you can apply for continued employer-level coverage for a set period after leaving. For exact premium calculation standards, refer to the official guidance from the National Health Insurance Service and the National Pension Service.

When you lose employer-insured status after leaving a job, you can apply for voluntary continued enrollment before transitioning to individually insured status. Applying to the National Health Insurance Service within a set period after your resignation date allows you to maintain premiums at the employer-insured level for a certain period, which is often lower than the individually insured rate. For details on the application deadline, duration, and eligibility requirements, refer to the official National Health Insurance Service guidance.

Each additional month adds the lost monthly wage plus self-paid health insurance, national pension, and living costs to net cost. If you are eligible for unemployment benefits, part of the income loss is offset, which moderates the net cost increase per additional month. Adjust the gap slider one month at a time while toggling the unemployment benefit checkbox to see the cost difference between the two scenarios directly.

If you have no income or are unemployed, you can apply to the National Pension Service for a contribution exemption, which suspends the payment obligation for the qualifying period. Exempted periods are excluded from the insured period, which can reduce your eventual pension benefit. The retroactive contribution (추납) scheme allows you to make up payments for exempted periods later, helping to restore the full pension amount. Applications can be made on the National Pension Service website or at a local branch.

The tenure slider influences the basis for determining how many days of unemployment benefits you can receive. Longer tenure means more benefit days, which increases income protection during the gap and reduces net cost. A lower net cost means that even if the new salary is below the current one, the time to reach the break-even point is shorter. Adjust the tenure slider and watch how the net cost changes on the result card.