Gyeonggi-do Supports Treatment Improvement Project for 22,000 Young Workers

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will carry out support projects for 22,000 young workers this year.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 21st on its website that it will implement the Youth Meister Account and Youth Welfare Points projects to improve the treatment and welfare of young workers residing in Gyeonggi Province who work at small and medium-sized enterprises and non-profit organizations within the province.

The Youth Meister Account is a project that supports young workers aged 18 to 34 who reside in the province and work at least 36 hours per week in small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in the province, with a monthly salary of 2.6 million KRW or less, by providing 300,000 KRW per month (total of 7.2 million KRW) for two years. The total number of beneficiaries is 5,000, and applications will be accepted next month with the final selection of recipients in April.

Youth Welfare Points is a project that supports young workers aged 18 to 34 who reside in the province and work at least 36 hours per week in small and medium-sized enterprises and non-profit organizations in the province, with a monthly salary of 2.6 million KRW or less, by providing 1.2 million KRW annually. The total number of beneficiaries is 17,000, and applications will be accepted three times annually during the 2nd to 4th quarters, with the final selection of recipients at the end of the application month.

Applications for participation are conducted online through the "Youth Worker Support Project" website (https://youth.jobaba.net). For inquiries, contact the Gyeonggi Job Foundation Counseling Call Center at 1577-0014.

Kim Kyung-hwan, Director of the Youth Welfare Policy Division of the province, said, "This support is for young workers employed at small and medium-sized enterprises, where wages and welfare levels are relatively poor compared to large corporations," adding, "We hope to create a society where young people who work hard despite difficult conditions are recognized."

Last year, the province selected and supported a total of 21,796 young workers through the Youth Worker Support Project. The province especially verifies the eligibility of applicants every three months to ensure that support funds are properly distributed.