[사설] After the foreign exchange crisis, it is necessary to prevent the fall of the victims through selective support for the largest employment shock

The National Statistical Office said on the 10th that the number of employed people in January this year decreased by 982,000 from a year ago. This is the largest since the decline of 1.28 million people in December 1998 at the time of the financial crisis. The number of unemployed also increased by 1.57 million, a record high. The damage was concentrated on the self-employed and its workers who were restricted from business due to Corona 19. In the service industry alone, 898,000 jobs were lost, including 367,000 lodging and restaurant businesses and 218,000 wholesale and retail businesses.

The seriousness of the job shock becomes clearer when looking at the trend of the decline in the number of employed people. The decline in the number of employed people from 200,000 in July to August last year reached 420,000 in October and 620,000 in December, and reached 1 million last month. The employment bank, which broke out little by little in front of the corona crisis, can no longer withstand and is afraid that it will burst at once. If the bank cannot be filled by targeting vulnerable areas, employment shocks comparable to the financial crisis may come.

However, it should also be taken into account that the government’s finances are not hwasu. According to the National Statistical Office, the national debt will reach a whopping 956 trillion won this year. The government’s ability to precisely select and support the affected industries and classes is more needed than ever.

However, the ruling party is showing the opposite behavior. The 4th Disaster Support Fund is to be released to all the people. However, the government analyzed that out of the 14 trillion won in the first disaster support that was granted to the whole people, the amount that produced additional consumption boosting effect was only 4.4 trillion won. It has already been proven that the universal disaster subsidy only greatly increases the debt of Narat and the effect is low. Nevertheless, it is doubtful that the ruling party’s commitment to universal support is not for the purpose of releasing sensational money ahead of the April by-election.

In the future, the government must also reframe its employment countermeasures. Even though the job decline was concentrated in the 20s and 40s, the government is intensively supporting the elderly public job program. This year, only the number of employed persons aged 60 or older is increasing. However, public jobs are jobs that will disappear when government support is cut off. We need to spend our money on creating sustainable private young jobs. There is a desperate need for selective support to prevent the fall of the victims.
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