Display Industry Association '2023 Display Industry Workforce Supply and Demand Survey'
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The display industry has completed workforce restructuring from liquid crystal displays (LCD) to organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and is preparing for new markets such as microLED, extended reality (XR), and vehicles, but the labor shortage has reportedly worsened.
According to the Korea Display Industry Association on the 16th, a 'Display Industry Workforce Supply and Demand Survey' was conducted targeting display-related businesses with 10 or more employees as of the end of last year. The number of workers was recorded at 50,723, an 11.57% increase compared to the previous year. The increase was centered on the panel and module sectors (up 21%), research and development positions (up 25%), and those with a bachelor's degree or higher (up 26%).
This figure only reflects a rebound from the employment decline due to LCD production cuts, and the workforce shortage problem due to business restructuring remains.
According to the association, the total number of personnel shortages in the display industry was 937, a 51% increase from the previous year. The shortage rate rose by 0.12 percentage points to 1.53% from 1.41% the previous year. In particular, the shortage rate in small and medium-sized enterprises with 30 or fewer employees expanded about twofold to 4.16% from 2.1% the previous year.
Job seekers continue to avoid employment in small and medium-sized enterprises and non-metropolitan areas, a chronic problem that remains unresolved. Above all, competition for personnel among advanced industries such as semiconductors and batteries has intensified difficulties in workforce supply and demand.
The number of specialized personnel completing display-related education has decreased by an average of 37.5% over the past three years. This is the exact opposite of the increasing trend seen in semiconductor and battery-related departments. Last year, the enrollment quota for display departments was 250, about one-tenth of the semiconductor departments (2,481).
The association analyzed that government policies focused on fostering advanced industries have concentrated on semiconductors, affecting the display sector. They argued that balanced government support among advanced industries is necessary.
Lee Dong-wook, vice chairman of the association, said, "The display industry stands at the starting point to create a new megatrend through OLED," adding, "To continuously lead the global market as a technology pioneer country, excellent talent is needed, so balanced government workforce policies must be supported in a timely manner."
The association plans to support recruitment activities of leading display companies by holding a job fair and a global HR seminar during the K-Display exhibition next month.
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