Retired Athletes Pushed into Employment Blind Spots: 40% Unemployed, 80% Earn Less Than 300,000 Won Monthly

"Retired Athletes Left in Employment Blind Spots"

It was found that 4 out of 10 domestic athletes are effectively unemployed after retirement. Additionally, about 80% earn less than 3 million won per month.

According to an analysis of the 'Career Status Survey of Former Athletes' received from the Korea Sports Council by Min Hyung-bae, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the average unemployment rate of retired athletes from 2012 to last year was 37.6%. This means that nearly 4 out of 10 are in a state of unemployment.

The unemployment rate survey for retired athletes began in 2012. After recording 35.9% that year, it was 43.2% in 2013, 35.38% in 2016, 39.40% in 2022, and 37.01% last year. Throughout the survey period, the rate remained within the 30-40% range.

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee building exterior [Image source: Korean Sport & Olympic Committee website]

Even if retired athletes succeed in finding employment, more than half are in non-regular positions. As of last year, the proportion of non-regular workers among employed retired athletes was 50.16%, while regular workers accounted for 44.09%.

The duration of job retention was also short. The longest tenure was less than one year at 38.34%, followed by two years (19.81%) and one year (17.57%).

Their average monthly income was highest in the 2 million to 2.99 million won range at 50.8%. This was followed by less than 2 million won at 27.48%, 3 million to 4.49 million won at 14.38%, and 4.5 million to 5.99 million won at 4.47%.

What are the reasons athletes face difficulties in deciding their career paths after retirement? According to a survey conducted by the Sports Council, responses included "I don't know what to do" (38.47%), "Lack of information about career paths" (27.51%), and "Lack of experience and qualifications" (18.61%).

Min Hyung-bae, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea [Image source=Yonhap News]

Currently, the Sports Council operates a career support center for athletes. However, due to insufficient promotion, the utilization rate is reportedly as low as 21%.

In this regard, Assemblyman Min emphasized, "A support system for career planning and management by life cycle should be established from the student athlete stage for retired athletes who are vulnerable to employment blind spots," adding, "Only when an environment is created where sportspeople can live stably after retirement can we truly advance as a leading sports nation."