Jinhaksa Catch Survey of Generation Z Job Seekers
Preference for 'Blue-Collar Shift Work with 70 Million KRW Salary' on the Rise
Among Generation Z job seekers (born in the late 1990s to early 2010s), 6 out of 10 have a positive perception of blue-collar jobs due to reasons such as high salaries and job stability. Particularly popular industries were 'IT, battery, semiconductor' and 'automobile, shipbuilding, aviation.'
A job seeker visiting a Seoul Employment Center is looking at the recruitment bulletin board. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung
On the 28th, recruitment platform Jinhaksa Catch conducted a survey of 1,603 Generation Z job seekers on the theme of 'blue-collar jobs with a 70 million KRW annual salary and shift work' versus 'white-collar jobs with a 30 million KRW annual salary and no overtime.' The results showed that 58% chose 'blue-collar,' surpassing half, while 42% chose 'white-collar.'
In particular, perceptions of blue-collar jobs are also changing positively. According to the survey, 63% of respondents answered that they think positively about blue-collar jobs, 30% said 'neutral,' and only 7% responded negatively.
The main reason for the positive evaluation of blue-collar jobs was 'because the salary is high (67%).' Other reasons included 'low risk of dismissal due to possessing skills (13%)' and 'less stress from overtime and promotion (10%).' Following these were 'quick employment (4%),' 'low possibility of replacement by artificial intelligence (AI) (3%),' and 'preference for physical work (3%).'
On the other hand, among those who evaluated blue-collar jobs negatively, the most cited reason was 'physically demanding (47%).' Other opinions included 'difficult to gain social recognition (15%),' 'low pay compared to labor (11%),' and 'few growth opportunities (11%).' Additionally, the reasons were ranked as follows: ▲difficulty with overtime and shift work (7%) ▲waste of university graduation (education level) (6%) ▲concern about job reduction due to automation (2%).
Regarding 'technical job sectors of interest (multiple responses)' among Generation Z job seekers, 'IT, battery, semiconductor (29%)' and 'automobile, shipbuilding, aviation (29%)' tied for first place, followed by 'electricity and electronics (16%),' 'beauty, cooking, baking (15%),' and 'construction, civil engineering, interior design (8%).' The proportion of respondents who answered 'not interested in blue-collar employment' was 21%.
Interest in blue-collar jobs is also reflected in the number of views on Catch's job postings. Analysis of Catch's job posting views showed that last year, Hyundai Motor Company's 'mobility technology personnel recruitment' posting recorded about 100,000 views. Other mobility technology personnel recruitment postings conducted before and after also consistently recorded high view counts.
Jung-hyun Kim, head of Jinhaksa Catch division, analyzed, "Generation Z's perception of blue-collar jobs is gradually changing to 'high-income jobs with high expertise and survivability,' and there is a clear tendency to choose jobs that align with their salary expectations, work-life balance, and personal values rather than social perception of the occupation."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
