[Report] Frozen Year-End Construction Labor Market... "No Work, Returning Home"

On-site Visit to Namguro Station Labor Market and Labor Offices Near Seoul Station

At around 5:02 a.m. on the 26th, near Namguro Station labor market in Seoul. Day laborers looking for work are gathering at the meeting point.
Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

[Asia Economy Reporters Hwang Seoyul and Choi Taewon] "Originally, I used to go to find work about three times a week. But recently, I only go once a week or sometimes not at all. I used to get 200,000 won per day, but these days I sometimes get paid around 100,000 won" (Lee, a 60-year-old Chinese-Korean day laborer looking for work)

At around 4:42 a.m. on the 26th, near Namguro Station labor market, about 80 workers fully equipped with winter gear such as military-patterned padded jackets, turtlenecks, and beanies gathered at the meeting point in front of Namguro Station in -6 degrees Celsius weather. By 5 a.m., the number of workers rapidly increased to nearly 300. The densely packed space was filled only with cigarette smoke and voices from workers waiting in the cold. As more people gathered, public workers wearing yellow vests and police officers were deployed near the meeting point to maintain order.

The area around Seoul Station to Samgakji, where several labor offices are located, was similar. From around 5 a.m., when the darkness had not yet fully lifted, dozens of middle-aged and older workers bundled up in winter gear flocked to find construction site jobs. Depending on their skills, workers here receive daily wages ranging from 190,000 won to 250,000 won.

At around 5:43 a.m., the labor market near Namguro Station. A van that finished recruiting workers started its engine to move to the construction site.
Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

Although many workers came out despite the cold weather, finding jobs was not easy. Near Namguro Station, Chinese-Korean workers could be seen repeatedly calling labor offices, asking, "Team leader, am I good for today?" to confirm their jobs. Ahn, 66, who said he had been a day laborer in construction for 50 years, said, "This is the first time in my 50 years that I've seen such a situation," shaking his head, "It's cold, so there is no work." When he gestured "seven," seven workers gathered and headed to a waiting van. The van started moving after recruitment was complete. As groups left one by one, about 200 workers remained at 5:42 a.m.

However, what froze the labor market more than the severe cold weather seemed to be the construction industry downturn. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as of the end of October, the nationwide unsold housing units totaled 47,217, a 13.5% increase from the previous month. As the sales market freezes, construction sites hesitate to break ground, and construction companies themselves are struggling. According to the Construction Industry Knowledge Information System, building starts in the same month decreased by 35.4% compared to the previous year, and the number of bankrupt companies reached 13 by October. Last year, the cumulative number of bankrupt companies was 12 by December.

Around 6:25 a.m. at Namguro Station labor market. Workers who have not found jobs still could not leave their spots, waiting for any possible opportunity. Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

At 6:01 a.m., the time for meals, among the roughly 100 remaining workers, some were directly hit by the construction downturn. Lee, 58, who usually had a fixed construction site job three times a week, suddenly heard that no workers were being accepted that day. Lee said, "I work for a subcontractor, but it seems the main contractor hasn't received the money," lamenting, "This kind of thing happens once a year, and I guess today is that day." He added, "I think I have to look for work again tomorrow."

Jeon, 56, who said he came to Namguro Station labor market for the first time this year, introduced himself as a bricklayer from Gangwon Province. He said he does personal jobs when they come from Gangwon but hasn't had much work this year, so he came here. Jeon said, "Here, job recruitment ends by 5:30 a.m.," and awkwardly added, "I think I have to go home today."

Around 7:30 a.m. at a labor office near Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. Workers who came out around 5 a.m. are passing the time by reading newspapers and chatting while waiting for work.
Photo by Taewon Choi skking@

By 6:25 a.m., people started leaving like the ebb tide, but dozens of workers still remained. To warm their frozen bodies after over an hour of waiting, they moved around here and there. Lee, a 60-year-old Chinese-Korean, said calmly, "I plan to wait until 6:30 a.m. If I can't find work, I guess I just have to rest today."

Similarly, around Seoul Station to Samgakji, dozens of people stayed at labor offices past 7 a.m. They passed time reading newspapers or staring at their phones, sometimes stepping outside to exhale long streams of cigarette smoke in frustration. At 7:30 a.m., the time when people say "today is a lost day," Shin Changseok, 62, who came to find day labor work, said, "I came out at 5:20 a.m. and have been waiting all this time, but these days I can't get any work." He added, "If there is no work, I just have to rest all day. It's like wasting bus fare both ways," and headed home.