Is the manpower shortage in the shipbuilding industry easing...? Government to deploy over 14,000 workers

[Image source=Yonhap News]

More than 14,000 production workers have been newly deployed to the domestic shipbuilding industry this year. Attention is focused on whether the chronic labor shortage in the shipbuilding sector will be resolved.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 7th that a total of 14,359 production workers have been deployed to the domestic shipbuilding industry up to the third quarter of this year, including domestic workers, skilled workers with E-7 visas, and low-skilled workers with E-9 visas. The government explained that this figure exceeds the estimated shortage of 14,000 workers expected in the domestic shipbuilding industry by the end of this year. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated that by consolidating cross-ministerial capabilities and efforts, the projected labor shortage for this year was quickly filled.

For domestic workers, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy trained a total of 2,146 job seekers through customized workforce development programs up to the third quarter, and linked 2,020 of them to employment.

For skilled workers (E-7), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Shipbuilding Association completed employment recommendations for a total of 7,765 people by the third quarter. Among them, the Ministry of Justice completed visa screenings for 6,966 individuals, who are now being deployed on site.

For non-professional workers (E-9), the Ministry of Employment and Labor issued work permits for a total of 5,373 people based on applications up to the third quarter, who are being assigned to small and medium-sized shipbuilding companies. Additionally, the government plans to expand the supply of foreign workers by converting E-9 foreign workers in the shipbuilding industry who meet requirements such as skill level and Korean language proficiency to skilled worker (E-7-4) visas.

The government plans to improve systems such as training-type E-7 visas and expanding employment opportunities for international students to ensure stable securing of production workers in the shipbuilding industry. Along with this, to support the stable settlement of foreign workers who have entered the country, the government announced plans to monitor the working status of foreign workers and the operation status of social integration programs by company.