The unemployment benefits were inaugurated on January 1, 1999, as part of the Labor Insurance Law benefits. Later as the Employment Insurance Act took effect on January 1, 2003, unemployment benefits were separated from labor insurance and had its own legal foundation.
Employment Insurance Act is established to improve workers’ skill and capability, promote employment, and provide basic living support to the insured persons for a certain period of time during unemployment and job training. The benefits include unemployment benefits, early reemployment incentives, vocational training living allowance, and National Health Insurance premium subsidies. Since January 31, 2007, dependents enrolled with insured persons have been allowed to receive national health insurance premium support as well.
On May 1, 2009, the Employment Insurance Act had major amendments as listed below:
1.The age limit for the insured person was raised from 60 to 65.
2.The foreign spouse of an ROC citizen was eligible for the employment insurance.
3.The length of unemployment benefit was 9 months instead of 6 months if the insured was over 45
years old when got unemployed, or the insured was the disability card holder.
4.An extra up to 20% unemployment benefit was added when the insured person had non-working spouse, minor children or children with mental or physical impairment.
5.Parental leave allowance was implemented as a new benefit item.
The competent authority of Employment Insurance is the Ministry of Labor Taiwan, ROC, and the Bureau of Labor Insurance is commissioned by the Ministry of Labor to administer Employment Insurance, and to be the insurer. Meanwhile, employment Insurance affairs are supervised and arbitrated by the Supervisory Commission of Labor Insurance.