Application to Ministry of Employment and Labor Includes Job Crisis for Daily Workers
Jeonnam Province Proposes Improvements Reflecting Yeosu Labor Market's Unique Characteristics
Participants are taking a commemorative photo after the 2nd meeting of the Yeosu City Labor-Management-Government-Civil Council and Yeosu Petrochemical Employment Crisis Response Council recently held. Photo by Jeonnam Province
Jeonnam Province plans to submit an application to the Ministry of Employment and Labor for the designation of an employment crisis area, following the review and resolution of the application by the Yeosu City Labor-Management-Government-Civil Council on April 28.
According to Jeonnam Province on April 29, the employment crisis in Yeosu's petrochemical sector has arisen as the order volume for plant construction projects has sharply decreased due to deteriorating business performance among major conglomerates. As a result, construction workers, who make up a significant portion of the Yeosu workforce, have experienced a depletion of available jobs, leading to an employment crisis in the region.
In response, Jeonnam Province and Yeosu City are operating the 'Yeosu Petrochemical Employment Crisis Response Council,' seeking joint response measures through mutual cooperation among stakeholders in labor, management, civil society, and government sectors.
The application for designation as an employment crisis area, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on April 30, includes strengthening the employment safety net for daily workers, such as support for social insurance premiums, temporary living expense assistance, and public job creation projects funded by the government, to address the job crisis faced by daily laborers.
If designated as an employment crisis area, workers will be eligible for extended training benefits, expanded support for vocational training expenses, and increased access to livelihood stabilization loans. Companies will receive expanded employment retention subsidies, regional employment promotion grants, and extensions on the payment deadlines for employment and industrial accident insurance premiums.
Separately from submitting the application, Jeonnam Province also plans to propose institutional improvements that reflect the unique characteristics of the Yeosu labor market, such as including the decline in the number of daily workers and the designation as an 'Industrial Crisis Preemptive Response Area' as criteria for employment crisis area designation.
Seo Eunsu, Director of Job Investment and Attraction at Jeonnam Province, stated, "Since the end of last year, partial shutdowns and decreased operating rates at factories in the Yeosu petrochemical complex have worsened business conditions, and employment reductions have begun, starting with daily workers. To proactively stabilize employment and revitalize the local economy in Yeosu, we will recommend the designation of Yeosu's petrochemical sector as an employment crisis area and respond actively."
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