Concerns of Job Seekers Increase Amid Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic
April Employment Down 476,000 Compared to Last Year
"Also Considering Non-Regular Employment"
6 out of 10 New Job Seekers Willing to Accept Non-Regular Jobs
Hope for More Online Recruitment Opportunities
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Kim Jin-gyu (31, pseudonym), who has been striving to get a job at a large corporation for three years, has been sighing more due to the aftermath of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). He is challenging himself to get a job at a large company this year, thinking it is his last chance, but the recruitment schedules have been postponed or suspended. As he gets older by the year, it is no longer easy to delay employment, and his confidence in entering a large corporation is gradually fading. Feeling sorry for his parents also plays a part. He said, "Since the employment gateway has narrowed, I plan to first enter a company that posts recruitment announcements and then challenge re-employment in the future."
As the COVID-19 situation shows signs of a prolonged battle, job seekers’ worries are deepening. They aimed to join well-known companies, but a cold wave has hit the recruitment market. Companies have postponed or suspended hiring due to concerns about group infections, and there are assessments that the COVID-19 triggered 'employment panic' has become a reality.
According to the 'April Employment Trends' announced by Statistics Korea, the number of employed people in April was 26,562,000, down 476,000 from last year. This is the largest decline since February 1999 (658,000), when the effects of the foreign exchange crisis were felt. The number of employed youth aged 15 to 29 decreased by 245,000 compared to the same month last year.
Due to the employment difficulties, young people are finally turning their attention to non-regular jobs, which they had previously avoided. Job seeker Lee (27) said, "The large corporations’ first half recruitment is already out of reach, and I’m worried they might not even recruit in the second half." He added, "I check job search sites every day, but since there are no suitable places, I am also looking at non-regular job postings."
A survey released on the 1st by Saramin, a job matching platform, reflects this mindset of young people. According to a survey of 1,182 new job seekers conducted by Saramin, 57.7% expressed willingness to work in non-regular positions. Among those willing to take non-regular jobs, 84.2% said that the reduction in hiring due to the COVID-19 situation influenced their willingness to accept non-regular employment.
On the 31st of last month, supervisors remotely monitoring in real-time at the Samsung Electronics plant in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. (Photo by Samsung Electronics)
However, young people are hoping that 'untact (non-face-to-face) recruitment' by large corporations will increase after Samsung conducted its first-ever online written test for new employees, the Samsung Aptitude Test (GSAT), on the 30th and 31st of last month.
Samsung is considering conducting online recruitment for the second half of the year as well. CJ Group has decided to promote non-face-to-face interviews via webcam for the first half recruitment, and Daelim Industrial will conduct second half new employee interview processes using the 'Ontact method,' which means connection through untact and online. Job seeker Choi (28) said, "Companies are narrowing their recruitment gates, making it hard even to expect passing the document screening, so I hope more companies will conduct recruitment online rather than having no opportunities at all."
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