"Just Bring Yourself"... Which Areas Offer Free Employment Suits in Our Neighborhood?

98% Satisfaction 'Praise'... Rapid Increase in Users
Some Offer Benefits Up to Middle Age... No Age Limit in Namyangju
Support for Hair Makeup and Interview Follow-up Management Also Provided

In an era of employment difficulties where the youth employment rate is only 46.5%, young people without a fixed income inevitably find the cost of preparing for employment burdensome. According to a survey conducted by the comprehensive education company Eduwill on 119 adults in their 20s and 30s, more than half of the respondents said they spend over 110,000 KRW on interview expenses. For job seekers, the cost of interview suits, which can amount to tens of thousands of won, is as burdensome as the cost of necessary certifications, language test scores, and education for employment. Local governments are making efforts to alleviate the economic burden on job seekers by providing suit rental services.

Seoul City 'Employment Wings Service' in use. [Image provided by Seoul City]

◆Seoul City operates a total of 14 locations... Number of users increased 14 times compared to the first year of introduction

Seoul City operates the 'Employment Wings Service,' which lends suits, ties, belts, shoes, and other items necessary for interviews free of charge to young people residing in Seoul aged up to 39, including high school graduates. The rental period per use is 3 nights and 4 days, and users can rent up to 10 times per year. If there is an additional interview within 5 days after the rental period ends, an extension application is possible. When using the service for the first time, users must visit the rental company in person for measurements, but thereafter, they can receive and use the items via delivery without visiting the branch.

In Seoul, the service is available at a total of 14 locations, including the newly opened Jongno Sinsa Jongno branch this year, ▲Dream Wings Hongdae branch ▲My Sweet Interview Sinchon, Sadang, Cheonho, Yeongdeungpo branches ▲Suit Gallery Nonhyeon and Chungjeongno branches ▲Swan J Nowon branch ▲Style Delicious Cheongdam branch ▲Yabes Collection Isu branch ▲Open Closet Konkuk University branch ▲Change Lazy Wangsimni and Gangnam branches.

The satisfaction level of young job seekers who used the service is high. According to a survey conducted by Seoul City on users of the suit rental service, the average satisfaction rate reached 98%. Last year, 98.6% of users responded that they were satisfied. The number of users is also on the rise. In the first year of the Employment Wings Service in 2016, the number of users was 4,032, which increased 13.7 times to 55,114 last year. The cumulative number of uses is 269,069.

◆Even 80 years old? Middle-aged and older adults can also apply... Personal color diagnosis and employment special lectures provided

Other regions also provide suit rental services for job seekers. Most local governments target young residents aged 18 to 39 for rentals, but the age eligibility, rental period, and number of rentals vary by local government, so caution is needed.

For young people aged 15 to 34 residing in Busan, suits for interviews can be rented for 3 nights and 4 days per use, up to 5 times a year. In Jeongeup City, Jeonbuk Province, a service with no limit on the number of rentals per year is provided for young people aged 18 to 45 residing in the city (2 nights and 3 days per rental). Changwon City, which plans to adjust the youth age range starting this year, has increased the number of beneficiaries of youth support projects such as suit rental services by 60,382 to 242,319 compared to last year. This is the result of raising the youth age in the Changwon City Youth Basic Ordinance from 19-34 to 19-39 years old. Young job seekers in Changwon City can rent suits for 3 nights and 4 days per use, up to 3 times a year.

There are also services for middle-aged and older adults, who are a blind spot in employment policies.

This is based on the fact that employment support services are focused on young job seekers, making it difficult for middle-aged and older job seekers to receive benefits. Gwangjin-gu in Seoul issues a 'Gwangjin-gu exclusive discount coupon' that allows job seekers aged 40 and over with a resident registration address in the district to receive a 10% discount on suit rental fees. The discount coupon can be used at the non-profit organization 'Open Closet' located in Gwangjin-gu. By visiting the company on the reserved date, users can borrow basic suits, ties, belts, socks, and shoes. Namyangju City in Gyeonggi Province allows any job seeker with resident registration in the city to use the suit rental service regardless of age. The service supports up to 5 rentals per year, each for 3 nights and 4 days.

Some places provide employment support services such as interview consulting along with suit rentals. Icheon City in Gyeonggi Province has been operating the suit rental project since 2021 and has expanded it fully with the 'Youth Employment Interview All-Care Project' starting this year. Users can receive interview consulting, employment special lectures, resume photo shoots, hair and makeup services, and post-interview management including job placement and information provision if they fail. The employment special lectures will be held quarterly, once each quarter, with a total of four sessions: the 1st and 3rd sessions focus on 'Career Exploration Navigation Using MBTI,' and the 2nd and 4th sessions on 'Image Making Using Personal Color.' Incheon City's 'Dream Narae' project supports not only suit rentals but also customized interview image consulting services that inform individuals of colors (personal colors), styles, and makeup methods that suit them, targeting residents aged 18 to 39. However, this project is currently under maintenance and is scheduled to resume next month.