[2020 National Audit] "Moon Administration Invested 77.8 Billion Won in Short-term Part-time Jobs... 3 Times MB Administration"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] It has been revealed that the Moon Jae-in administration invested 77.8 billion KRW in short-term youth jobs at institutions under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which is three times the amount during the Lee Myung-bak administration.

On the 12th, Song Seok-jun, a member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the People Power Party, announced that a full survey of short-term jobs under six months for those aged 18 to under 34 at institutions under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, where unemployment benefits and severance pay are not provided, showed that the number of youth short-term part-time hires reached 12,710 during the Moon administration, with a budget of 77.8 billion KRW.

This is 1.4 to 2 times higher compared to 6,373 people (budget 21.3 billion KRW) during the Lee Myung-bak administration and 8,919 people (budget 35.9 billion KRW) during the Park Geun-hye administration. The budget size increased by 2.2 to 3.7 times.

In particular, Korea Railroad Corporation and Korea Expressway Corporation had no youth short-term part-time workers during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations, but under the Moon administration, the number of hires increased to 1,850 and 712 respectively. The budgets spent by the two institutions to hire youth short-term part-time workers amounted to 5.168 billion KRW for Korea Railroad Corporation and 4.51 billion KRW for Korea Expressway Corporation.

Additionally, in the case of the Facility Safety Corporation, the number of hires increased 13.4 times compared to the Lee Myung-bak administration and 4.7 times compared to the Park Geun-hye administration, while the budget increased 16 times compared to the Lee Myung-bak administration and 13.6 times compared to the Park Geun-hye administration. The Transportation Safety Authority saw the number of hires increase 18.7 times compared to the Lee Myung-bak administration and 1.8 times compared to the Park Geun-hye administration, with the budget increasing 31.7 times compared to the Lee Myung-bak administration and 2.2 times compared to the Park Geun-hye administration.

The types of work performed by youth short-term part-time workers hired at institutions under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport were mostly simple tasks such as document copying and office assistance, loading and unloading work, snow removal, and passenger guidance. Representative Song said, "The deception of reducing unemployment rates through short-term part-time jobs no longer works," adding, "We should refrain from mass-producing short-term part-time jobs at public institutions that only drain national finances, and instead create quality jobs in the private sector through customized talent development that meets industrial demand and deregulation."