Employment Insurance （雇用保険, koyou hoken）

Employment insurance, called 雇用保険 or koyou hoken, covers laborers in the event they should lose their job. Employers are required to register their employees. Premiums are paid from each month’s salary. Unemployed workers can then apply for unemployment benefits at the Employment Security Office （Hello Work）. The duration and amount of unemployment benefits are determined by the period of employment and wages during that time.

Apart from diplomats, those receiving unemployment benefits from overseas and intra-company transferees initially employed overseas by Japanese companies, all foreign nationals employed in Japan are eligible to join the Japanese employment insurance scheme.

If you fulfill the following conditions you are eligible for employment insurance payments:

1. You were a member of the scheme for at least 12 months within a 2 year period before losing your job

~or~

1. You were a member of the scheme for at least 6 months within a 1 year period before losing your job on account of company bankruptcy or restructuring
2. You are willing and able to begin a new job
3. You are currently seeking employment

You can apply at your nearest Hello Work. Please contact them with any inquiries.

What you need

Item	Japanese translation	Details	Where to get it?
Separation notice	雇用保険被保険者離職票 （koyou hoken hihokensha rishokuhyou）	Statement of unemployment for insured party	Previous employer
Employment insurance card	雇用保険被保険者証 （koyou hoken hihokensha shou）		Previous employer
Photograph	写真 （shashin）	3 cm x 2.5 cm
Residence card	在留カード （zairyuu kaado）
Passport	パスポート （pasupoto）
Name seal （hanko）	印鑑、はんこ（inkan, hanko）	（if you have one）
Certificate stating you are searching for work	求職票 （kyuushokuhyou）		These can be found at Hello Work offices.