Last year, the number of employed has decreased by 220,000 from a year ago. This is the largest since the 1998 financial crisis. Due to the employment cold caused by Corona 19, irregular workers, temporary workers, and daily workers, which are the weak link in the job market, lost many jobs. Of these, it is particularly worrisome that there are many in their 20s and 30s who should serve as the backbone of the economy.
This is reporter Jung A-ram.
[기자]
It is an employment center in Mapo, Seoul.
There are more than 60 people waiting to apply for unemployment benefits and you must wait for more than 40 minutes to apply.
The National Statistical Office said that the number of employed people last year was 26.9 million, down 220,000 from a year ago.
This is the biggest decline in 22 years since the 1998 financial crisis.
By age, the number of employed people in their twenties was 3.6 million, down 146,000 from a year ago.
Again, it is the largest decline in 22 years.
[정모 씨 (20대 / 서울 역촌동) : 영어 시험이나 이런 거 준비하면서 당분간은 실업급여로 생활을 하고 코로나가 상반기에 괜찮아지면 그때 일자리를 정규직으로 구해 볼 생각입니다.]
The number of people in their 30s and 40s decreased by around 150,000.
The only age group in which the number of employees has increased is over 60s, but the government’s senior job business was largely affected.
By industry, the impact of the face-to-face service industry, which decreased sales due to distance, was significant.
The number of employed in the wholesale and retail business and accommodation and restaurant businesses has decreased by nearly 320,000.
[박모 씨/서울 한남동 : 주류업계에서 일을 하고 있었는데 코로나 때문에 두 달 정도 쉬게 돼서 월세나 이런 것들이 부담돼서 실업급여를 신청하러 왔어요.]
The problem is that the actual employment situation can be worse than the figures released by the government.
The number of temporary leavers who are classified as employed even though they do not work was 837,000 last year.
The number of people increased by 430,000 from a year ago, and since the statistics were written in 1980, both the total size and the increase are the largest.
[구정우/성균관대 사회학과 교수 : 정부가 고용유지지원금을 늘리면서 일시휴직자가 늘어났는데 이 결과 사실상 숫자로 잡히지 않는 미취업자가 상당한 정도로 늘어난 것으로 보입니다. 이러한 사각지대에 있는 사람들을 위해서 현실적인 대책과 제도적인 보완이 필요합니다.]
(Video Design: Seungwoo Cho)