Hamyang-gun Ranks First in Gyeongnam for Employment Rate Increase in the First Half of This Year

Actively Discovering Customized Jobs Suitable for Hierarchical and Regional Characteristics... Employment Rate Rises to 3rd Nationwide

Exterior view of Hamyang County Office

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Hamyang-gun, Gyeongnam announced on the 1st that despite the employment crisis caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it recorded the highest employment rate increase in the province in the first half of this year.

According to the county, the employment rate for those aged 15 and over was 67.3%, an increase of 2.6 percentage points from 64.7% last year, showing the highest increase among the 18 basic local governments in the province and ranking third nationwide.

Additionally, the employment rate of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 was 73.9%, and the economic activity participation rate was 68.1%, rising by 2.1 percentage points and 2.8 percentage points respectively compared to the previous year.

While employment rates nationwide fell simultaneously due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the rise in Hamyang-gun’s employment rate is a highly encouraging achievement.

This is interpreted as the result of various local economic revitalization policies linked to the 2021 Hamyang Wild Ginseng Anti-aging Expo, recruitment incentives for companies promoted independently by the county, support for obtaining customized drone and heavy equipment certifications, as well as focused implementation of public jobs such as senior jobs, public work, community jobs, locally led youth jobs, social enterprise job creation support, and support for employment and start-ups for returnees to farming and rural areas.

Through its own job projects, the county provided jobs for 116 people in public work, 112 senior center meal helpers?the first such project in Gyeongnam implemented by Hamyang-gun as a pledge of the 7th local government administration?66 forest biomass product collectors for forest landscape management, and 46 personnel for management and operation of the Hamyang Daebongsan Recreation Valley scheduled to open this year.

Also, through national and provincial government-supported job projects, 1,423 jobs were provided to vulnerable groups including community jobs, senior jobs, and jobs for the disabled; 123 senior customized care service workers including life support workers and dedicated social workers directly hired and operated by the county; 46 locally led youth jobs; and 16 social enterprise job support positions, actively discovering and promoting customized jobs suited to class and regional characteristics.

Seo Chun-soo, Hamyang County Governor, said, “The increase in our county’s employment rate shows the possibility of overcoming the labor market contraction and economic recession caused by COVID-19,” and added, “We will continue to devote all efforts to discovering jobs that catch both the prevention of COVID-19 spread in the region and the revitalization of the local economy.”