23.8% of Young Job Seekers Experience Difficulties in Job Hunting Due to Lack of Internships and Practical Experience
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] It has been pointed out that in order to encourage young job seekers to find employment, opportunities for job experience, including private sector vocational training, need to be increased.
The Korea Employers Federation announced the results of the "Youth Job Seekers Employment Perception Survey" on the 24th, targeting 500 young job seekers nationwide aged 20 to 34.
According to the survey results, 54% of young job seekers hope to find employment in the "public sector (36.8%)" or "large corporations (17.2%)," but they face difficulties due to "lack of opportunities" and "anxiety." It was also found that 16.2% responded that they would accept any job as long as they get employed.
Young job seekers prioritize wages, welfare, and work-life balance over growth potential when considering employment.
Specifically, 37.6% responded "wage and welfare level," which was the highest, followed by "job stability" at 21.7%, "work-life balance and corporate culture" at 20.5%, and "growth potential and vision" at 12.5%.
The desired annual wage levels were 30 to 40 million KRW (39.6%), 22 to 30 million KRW (15.8%), over 50 million KRW (10.4%), and around 22 million KRW (minimum wage level, 5.8%) in that order.
Young job seekers are experiencing difficulties in job hunting due to lack of opportunities such as internships or practical experience (23.8%) and anxiety about not being able to get a job (23.4%), rather than language scores, certifications, or obtaining employment information.
Regarding coping strategies if they fail to get a job at their desired company, 47.4% of respondents said they would "lower their standards and apply to lower-tier companies." In particular, 74.6% of respondents expressed willingness to participate in private sector vocational training programs to explore aptitudes and improve job skills.
Additionally, concerning the expansion of on-demand recruitment centered on large corporations, 39% of young job seekers responded that it would have little impact on their employment, which was slightly higher than the 32.4% who said it would have a positive effect.
Lee Hyung-jun, Head of Employment and Social Policy at the Korea Employers Federation, said, "In a situation where quality jobs preferred by job seekers are limited, it appears that young people who lack opportunities to work are having difficulties entering the labor market. It is necessary to alleviate psychological anxiety by expanding opportunities for job experience, including private sector vocational training programs, for the youth."
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