"It's Hard to Stay at One Job" 'N-jobber' and 'Gig Job' Rise Instead of 'Lifetime Employment' [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

6 out of 10 Adults Say "Lifelong Jobs Do Not Exist"
From 'Two-Job Workers' to 'N-Job Workers' and 'Gig Jobs'
Experts Say "The Concept of Lifelong Jobs Has Disappeared"

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] [Editor's Note] How is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we share the joys and sorrows unique to 'youth.'

"It's becoming uneasy to stay at just one job.", "After all, having a 'two-job' is safer and earns more money..."

As the concept of a so-called 'lifetime job,' where one works at a single company to earn a living, disappears, some office workers are choosing to be 'two-job holders' (people with two jobs) and continuing activities outside their main job. They seem to be alleviating anxiety about the future by working at multiple jobs due to employment instability.

Especially, with the rapid changes in employment types in the job market due to the COVID-19 pandemic, new terms such as 'N-jobbers,' meaning people with multiple jobs, and 'gig jobs,' which refer to short-term or temporary work taken as needed, have emerged. Experts analyze this as a change in the traditional concept of employment.

Recently, the number of people feeling uneasy about their work life has increased. According to a survey by Trend Monitor of 1,000 adults nationwide, more than half of respondents, 55.2%, said they feel anxious about whether they can continue their current job. Additionally, 56.3% expressed concern about whether they can endure their job for a long time.

They also showed a skeptical view of the 'lifetime job.' In the same survey, 63.2% of respondents said that a 'lifetime job' does not exist. The most common reason, at 51.1%, was the presence of employment insecurity, such as not knowing when they might be laid off.

A 27-year-old office worker A, working at a small-to-medium enterprise, said, "During the peak of COVID-19, the company's situation became so difficult that there were many rumors among employees about 'wage cuts' and 'restructuring.'" He added, "Although I am still working at the company, the mental stress back then was severe. I even thought about whether I should prepare to change jobs."

He continued, "I think the anxiety about the future has grown even more because of COVID-19," adding, "There is no guarantee that I can stay stable at one company. So these days, I also think about learning something new."

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Some office workers are trying to alleviate their anxiety about the future by working at multiple companies rather than being tied to one job.

Another office worker B (29) said, "I work at a company and also do translation work," adding, "With the increase in remote work due to COVID-19, I was able to manage two jobs simultaneously." He said, "I think I earn more money than when I only worked at one company, and even if I quit one job, I feel reassured because I can still earn money from the other."

Like B, 'N-jobbers' who have two or more jobs are also reflected in related statistics. According to a survey by Job Korea and Albamon of 1,600 male and female office workers, 30.3% of respondents identified themselves as 'N-jobbers.'

As the employment environment changed due to COVID-19, the term 'gig job,' referring to short-term temporary work, has also appeared after 'N-jobbers.' Especially, 'gig jobs' are popular among people in their 20s and 30s because they can enjoy various types of work in a short period.

According to a survey by Job Korea and Albamon of 2,247 job seekers in their 20s and 30s, 47.5% of respondents had a positive view of 'gig jobs.' On the other hand, 24.8% responded negatively, and 27.7% said they were unsure.

Experts analyze that unlike the past when the concept of a 'lifetime job' was clear, the traditional concept of employment is changing.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "The older generation had a firm concept of a 'lifetime job,' staying at one company for a long time. Therefore, they feel anxious about changing jobs." She added, "In contrast, the younger generation tends to change jobs immediately if their current job does not meet their expectations or if they receive slightly better conditions elsewhere." She continued, "It can be seen that the fear of changing jobs is less than that of the older generation."