The Ministry of Labor (MOL) is encouraging workers on unemployment benefits to return to the workforce as soon as possible. Workers who find a new job before their benefit period ends, and who remain enrolled in employment insurance for three months, not only secure a stable income from employment but can also apply for the Early Reemployment Incentive — additional motivation to return to work sooner.
The MOL stated that, under the Employment Insurance Act, workers who become employed before their unemployment benefit period ends and who remain enrolled in employment insurance for three months after starting work may apply for the Early Reemployment Incentive. The Bureau of Labor Insurance (BLI) pays a lump sum equal to 50% of the unemployment benefits the insured person has not yet claimed.
The MOL gave an example in the case of Mr. Lin, who became unemployed involuntarily and received NT$20,000 per month in unemployment benefits (payable for up to six months). By the time he reached his third month of benefits, Mr. Lin had successfully found a new job with a monthly salary of NT$40,000. At that point, he found himself in a dilemma: “I still have three months of unemployment benefits left to claim — it would be a shame to give them up. Should I stay home and claim the rest before going back to work?” Unsure which choice would be most advantageous, Mr. Lin decided to visit a local BLI office for advice. After hearing Mr. Lin’s concerns, the Bureau explained that, to encourage workers to return to the workforce early, the government offers the Early Reemployment Incentive: as long as a worker finds a job before the benefit period ends and remains enrolled in employment insurance at the new place of employment for three months, the worker can apply to receive half of the unclaimed benefits. The Bureau then worked out Mr. Lin’s total income for those three months:
- Income from new employment: NT$40,000 × 3 months = NT$120,000
- Early Reemployment Incentive: NT$20,000 × 1.5 months = NT$30,000
- Total income: NT$150,000
By comparison, if Mr. Lin had chosen to stay home and claim the remaining three months of unemployment benefits in full, his total income would have been only NT$60,000 (NT$20,000 × 3 months). After the BLI’s detailed explanation and calculation, Mr. Lin realized that returning to work early would bring him a total income of NT$150,000 — a full NT$90,000 more than the NT$60,000 he would have received by staying home to finish claiming his unemployment benefits. With his doubts resolved, Mr. Lin decided to return to work early. Mr. Lin’s case proves that returning to work early not only allows workers to start steadily earning a new salary, but also lets them pocket an extra incentive — resulting in even higher real total income.
In addition, the Early Reemployment Incentive can also be applied for online, making the process highly convenient. Workers can log in to the BLI's e-Service System using mobile phone authentication or a Citizen Digital Certificate and apply through the
Individual Online Filing and Inquiry Service at any time, without being restricted by office hours, saving on postage and delivery time and allowing the incentive to be credited to the worker’s account faster.
Lastly, the MOL reminds workers to submit their application within two years from the date they become eligible. Workers who have already completed their online application for the Early Reemployment Incentive do not need to mail in additional documents — doing so would result in duplicate submissions and unnecessarily lengthen the review process.