EIS Job Search Allowance Malaysia: How Much PERKESO Pays (2026)

If you lose your job through retrenchment, VSS/MSS or a business closure, PERKESO's EIS (Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan, SIP) pays a Job Search Allowance of 80%, 50%, 40%, 40%, 30% and 30% of your "assumed monthly wage" over three to six months. On a steady RM3,500 gaji, that is RM2,760 in the first month and up to RM8,280 over five months.

This guide shows how PERKESO turns your salary into that figure, how many months you qualify for, and what changed for job losses from 1 October 2026: the Early Re-employment Allowance went up to 50%, training allowance is now RM30 a day, and there is a new RM1,000 Mobility Allowance.

Who can claim EIS benefits

You can claim if all three of these apply:

1. You lost your job in a way the Act covers. PERKESO's list includes normal retrenchment, VSS/MSS, business closure or bankruptcy, closure due to a natural disaster, constructive dismissal, and resigning because of sexual harassment or threats at work, or after being ordered to do dangerous work outside your job scope.
2. You apply within 60 days of losing your job. Claims after 60 days are rejected under section 29 of Act 800. Apply online on the LINDUNG Kerjaya portal.
3. You meet the contributions qualifying conditions (CQC): enough months of EIS contributions in the eligibility period before you lost your job.

Section 30 of Act 800 excludes voluntary resignation, the expiry of a contract, mutual termination without terms, completion of contract work, retirement and dismissal for misconduct. EIS covers Malaysian citizens and permanent residents in the private sector who contribute 0.2% of wages each month. If you're not sure whether you've been paying, the SOCSO & EIS contribution table 2026 shows the amount for every wage band.

Step 1: Work out your assumed monthly wage

PERKESO doesn't use your actual salary. Each month's wage is mapped to a fixed assumed monthly wage (gaji anggapan) from the Act 800 table, which is RM50 below the top of your RM100 band:

• RM2,900.01 – RM3,000 → assumed RM2,950
• RM3,400.01 – RM3,500 → assumed RM3,450
• RM4,900.01 – RM5,000 → assumed RM4,950
• RM5,900.01 and above → assumed RM5,950 (the cap)

The wage ceiling has been RM6,000 since 1 October 2024, so RM5,950 is the highest assumed wage, even if you earned RM10,000.

Then PERKESO averages the assumed wages over the six months before the month you lost your job, counting only months with contributions. Overtime that EIS was deducted on counts, so a few heavy-overtime months can lift your average.

Step 2: Find how many months you qualify for

For a first claim, PERKESO looks at the 24 months up to and including the month you lost your job:

• 12 to 15 months of contributions → 3 months of Job Search Allowance
• 16 to 19 months → 4 months
• 20 to 23 months → 5 months
• 24 months → 6 months (the maximum)

Later claims need a longer record. A second claim looks back 36 months (18/24/30/36 months of contributions for 3/4/5/6 months of benefit), a third claim 48 months (24/32/40/48), and so on, up to a twelfth claim over 156 months. Fewer than 12 months of contributions in the first 24 means no Job Search Allowance.

Step 3: Apply the monthly rates

The Job Search Allowance (Elaun Mencari Pekerjaan, EMP) rates are set in the Third Schedule of Act 800 and did not change in October 2026:

• Month 1: 80% of the average assumed wage
• Month 2: 50%
• Months 3 and 4: 40%
• Months 5 and 6: 30%

Payments start after a 7-day waiting period from the date your claim is approved. You must not be working while you receive them. If you accept a job, you must tell PERKESO within seven days.

Worked example 1: retrenched on RM3,500

Hafiz earned a basic gaji of RM3,500 every month and was retrenched on 15 November 2026. It's his first claim, and he contributed in 22 of the last 24 months.

• Assumed wage: RM3,400.01 – RM3,500 band → RM3,450, the same for all six months, so the average is RM3,450
• CQC: 22 of 24 months → 5 months of Job Search Allowance
• Month 1: 80% × RM3,450 = RM2,760
• Month 2: 50% = RM1,725
• Months 3 and 4: 40% = RM1,380 each
• Month 5: 30% = RM1,035
• Total: RM8,280

Now say Hafiz starts a new job after receiving the first two payments. The unpaid balance is RM1,380 + RM1,380 + RM1,035 = RM3,795. Because he lost his job after 1 October 2026, his Early Re-employment Allowance is 50% × RM3,795 = RM1,897.50, paid in a lump sum. Before October 2026 it would have been 25%, or RM948.75. If his new job is more than 100 km from home, he can also claim the RM1,000 Mobility Allowance.

Worked example 2: high earner, full six months

Mei Ling earned RM7,500 a month and lost her job when her company closed in December 2026. She has contributed every month for years and this is her first claim.

• Assumed wage: above RM6,000 → capped at RM5,950
• CQC: 24 of 24 months → 6 months
• Months 1 to 6: RM4,760 · RM2,975 · RM2,380 · RM2,380 · RM1,785 · RM1,785
• Total: RM16,065

Her ESO refers her to a 20-day course. EIS pays the training fee (up to RM7,000) plus a Training Allowance of 20 × RM30 = RM600. That's on top of her Job Search Allowance, as long as she attends every required session.

Worked example 3: wages that changed

Siti joined her company 13 months before a VSS. Over the six months before her last month, she earned RM2,800 in four months and RM3,150 (with overtime) in two.

• Assumed wages: RM2,750 × 4 and RM3,150 × 2 → (RM11,000 + RM6,300) ÷ 6 = RM2,883.33
• CQC: 13 of 24 months → 3 months
• Month 1: RM2,306.67 · Month 2: RM1,441.67 · Month 3: RM1,153.33
• Total: about RM4,901.67

The other LINDUNG KERJAYA benefits

• Reduced Income Allowance (EPB): for people with more than one job who lose one or more, but not all, of them. Same rates and duration as the Job Search Allowance, but paid as a lump sum. Lose all your jobs at once and you can get both.
• Early Re-employment Allowance (EBSA): 50% of the unpaid Job Search Allowance balance for job losses from 1 October 2026 (25% before that). Lump sum.
• Training Fee (FL): up to RM7,000 for job losses from 1 October 2026 (RM4,000 before).
• Training Allowance (EL): a flat RM30 per training day from 1 October 2026 (previously RM10–RM20 depending on wage).
• Mobility Allowance (EBM), new: RM1,000 one-off if your new job in Malaysia is at least 100 km from where you live. Apply within 60 days of reporting for duty, with your offer letter and confirmation from the new employer. Not available to EPB recipients.
• Dependants' Allowance: if an insured person dies or becomes incapacitated with benefits still unpaid, one eligible dependant can claim the balance.

Common mistakes

• Using your actual salary. PERKESO uses the assumed wage from the band table, which is RM50 below the top of your band.
• Expecting a payout on RM8,000 or RM12,000 pay. Everything above RM6,000 is treated as RM5,950.
• Waiting too long to apply. The 60-day window is strict. Apply first, then sort out your final pay.
• Assuming resignation counts. It only counts in the specific cases on PERKESO's list, such as harassment or dangerous orders.
• Working while you claim. Taking a job, even part-time, without telling PERKESO within seven days is an offence under section 34.
• Treating EIS like severance. EIS is separate from what your employer owes you. See termination benefits in Malaysia for the statutory lay-off payment.
• Using an old figure for the re-employment bonus. For job losses from 1 October 2026 it's 50%, not 25%. Some older calculators and articles still show 25%.

Before you apply: a short checklist

• Your termination or retrenchment letter, with the last working date
• Your last six payslips, to check the wages used for the average
• Bank account details in your own name
• A MYFutureJobs account: you must register and actively look for work

To see what your contributions cost you each month while you're working, run your gaji through the salary calculator. For how EIS fits with EPF and SOCSO, read EPF, SOCSO and EIS: a simple guide for employees.