Interior ministry raises childcare leave subsidies to ease local staff shortages

The interior ministry said Wednesday it will raise the standard personnel cost reimbursement for childcare leave allowances from 1.6 million won to 1.9 million won per month to help local governments fill staffing gaps more actively.

By adding the allowance amount paid to employees on leave to the standard personnel costs, the central government intends to incentivize local authorities to hire replacement staff more aggressively.

In addition to the rate hike, the ministry plans to newly include compensation payments for employees on infertility treatment leave as a reimbursable item under the standard personnel cost system. This addition, valued at 1.6 million won per month, seeks to support efforts to overcome low birth rates while improving local personnel operations.

To address field concerns that rigid cost limits hinder active recruitment, the ministry will grant an autonomous range for standard personnel costs to all local governments based on their specific vacancy rates. This measure effectively functions as an additional budget allocation to encourage filling open positions.

The ministry also intends to revise the Local Public Official Appointment Ordinance to include appointment deferrals as a valid reason for selecting additional successful candidates during open competitive recruitment. Alongside these changes, officials will guide local governments to proactively calculate and reflect expected vacancies caused by leave when establishing recruitment plans.

Local governments demonstrating excellent organizational and human resources management, particularly those that actively fill vacancies arising from various types of leave, will receive strong incentives such as benefits and rewards during standard personnel cost calculations.

Kim Min-jae, vice minister of the interior and safety, stated that excessive workloads due to staff shortages inevitably lead to a decline in the quality of administrative services. He added that the ministry will strive to create an environment where local officials can balance work and family happily, establishing a virtuous cycle where this well-being translates into high-quality services for citizens.