Lack of Living Infrastructure Is the Main Reason for Avoidance
Minimum Requirement: Annual Salary Over 80 Million Won
Six out of ten Generation Z (those born from the mid-1990s to the late 2010s) job seekers have no intention of working for companies located outside major cities.
Jinhaksa's recruitment platform 'Catch' released the results of a survey on June 27. The survey was conducted among 2,754 Generation Z job seekers (born from the mid-1990s to the late 2010s).
Among all respondents, 63% said they were not willing to work for companies based in non-metropolitan areas. Only 37% said they would consider employment outside major cities.
The main reason for avoiding jobs in regional areas was a 'lack of residential, lifestyle, and educational infrastructure,' cited by 55% of respondents. This was followed by concerns about being far from family or acquaintances (20%), and anxiety about living in an unfamiliar place (13%). Other reasons included the perception that there may not be desirable job opportunities (6%) and concerns that it could be disadvantageous for career growth (5%).
On the other hand, respondents who viewed working in regional areas positively cited 'less competition for jobs' as the biggest reason (29%). This was followed by proximity to family or acquaintances living in regional areas (21%), the presence of desired positions or industries in those areas (17%), expectations for work-life balance (16%), and reduced living and transportation costs (15%).
When asked about the minimum annual salary they would require to work for a regional company, the most common response was 'over 80 million won,' chosen by 33%.
This was followed by 50?60 million won (19%), 40?50 million won (17%), 60?70 million won (13%), less than 40 million won (10%), and 70?80 million won (8%).
In a multiple-choice question about possible work locations, 58% of respondents chose 'within Seoul,' the highest proportion. This was followed by 'the Seoul metropolitan area, including Pangyo, Suwon, and Incheon' at 52%. The central region (Daejeon, Sejong, Gangwon) accounted for 17%, the southern region (including Busan and Daegu) for 10%, and island regions such as Jeju for 3%.
Kim Junghyun, a division head at Catch, said, "The tendency to avoid regional employment appears to be the result of complex concerns arising from infrastructure gaps and unequal opportunities. While it is important to improve perceptions across society, if companies effectively promote their strengths, they can become highly attractive options for job seekers."
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