Gyeongbuk Province: 5.4% of Employed Work Less Than 36 Hours in 'Short-Term Jobs'... February Employment Trends

Northeast Statistics Office Report ... Among 1.35 Million Employed, 366,000 Have Jobs Under 36 Hours

The photo shows Jin Kim, Director of the Administrative Statistics Division at the National Statistical Office, announcing the wage worker job trends for the third quarter of 2020 (as of August) at the Government Sejong Complex in Sejong City on February 25. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] In February, the number of employed people in the Gyeongbuk region turned to an increasing trend compared to the previous month (January), but since more than 5% of the total employed were short-term jobs with less than 36 hours, the quality of employment significantly declined.

According to the "February 2021 Gyeongbuk Employment Trends" announced by the Northeast Regional Statistics Office on the 17th, the number of employed people in the province decreased to 1,444,000 in November last year, 1,385,000 in December, and 1,334,000 in January this year.

The number of employed people, which had been drawing a downward curve like this, showed a slight increase to 1,353,000 in February. This is 54,000 fewer than a year ago. Compared to January, which decreased by 59,000 from the previous year, the decline has somewhat narrowed.

However, contrary to these figures, the number of short-term jobs with less than 36 hours was 366,000, accounting for 5.4% of the total employed, indicating a sharp drop in the quality of employment. The number of short-term jobs with less than 36 hours increased by 19,000 compared to the same month last year.

Also, while the number of employed people in transportation, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries increased, industries sensitive to the economic downturn such as wholesale and retail, accommodation and food services, and manufacturing are still experiencing a hiring freeze. The number of unemployed also rose to 77,000, an increase of 21,000 compared to the same month last year.

Baek Seong-gil, Director of the Gyeongbuk Province Job Economy Office, said, "Although the employment rate in the province has risen, it is still too early to judge that it has entered an improvement trend, and it is clear that the cold wave blowing in the job market continues," adding, "There is a need to further strengthen policies to revitalize the economy and consumption, and we will strive to do so."