Next Year, 130,000 Foreign Workers with Employment Permits to Be Introduced

Quota by Industry: 98,000 People... Manufacturing Industry 72,000 People
Flexible Allocation Without Industry Classification 32,000 People

The government has decided to reduce the quota for foreign workers entering under the Employment Permit System next year by about 21% compared to this year. The quota for next year was determined after comprehensively considering the economic situation and external conditions, as the demand was lower than expected this year.

On the 20th, the government held the 45th Foreign Workforce Policy Committee meeting and finalized the "2025 Foreign Workforce (E-9) Introduction and Operation Plan" regarding the quota for foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (residence status E-9).

The government decided the E-9 foreign workforce quota for next year to be 130,000, taking into account this year's incoming personnel, labor shortage forecasts, external conditions such as economic outlook, and the results of demand surveys from employers and related ministries. The quota is a kind of ceiling concept, meaning the upper limit of the introduction scale.

Han Eun-sook, Director of Foreign Workforce at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, explained, "Since fewer foreign workers entered than predicted this year, we wanted to look more closely at next year's quota," adding, "In addition to research results, we analyzed how external conditions, economic factors, vacant jobs, and other visas have historically affected demand."

The E-9 foreign workforce quota for next year is divided into two parts. The first is the "sector-specific quota," reflecting the predicted demand for E-9. This quota totals 98,000 people, divided by sector as follows: manufacturing (72,000), agriculture and livestock (10,000), fisheries (8,500), services (3,000), shipbuilding (2,500), and construction (2,000).

The second part is the "flexible allocation," intended to respond to unexpected changes in circumstances. The flexible allocation totals 32,000 and will be operated without sector distinction according to changes in labor demand throughout the year.

The government usually sets the quota between 50,000 and 70,000 but significantly increased it to 120,000 last year and 165,000 this year. However, this year, with various system improvements and increased foreign employment through other visas such as E-7 (specific activities) and E-8 (seasonal work), the demand for E-9 decreased. The actual E-9 employment this year is expected to be 80,000.

Kim Min-seok, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, said, "We accurately predicted next year's E-9 demand to set the quota, but we also included sufficient flexible allocation to ensure there is no shortage in resolving labor shortages even if unexpected changes occur," adding, "We plan to continue improving the system so that necessary personnel can be utilized in a timely manner."