Lowest Number on Record: Only 129,000 This Year
Low Pay and Hostile Complaints Accelerate Shift to Private Sector
The number of young people (aged 20 to 34) preparing for the civil service exam this year has dropped to less than half of what it was four years ago, marking the lowest level since statistics have been compiled.
An advertisement for a civil service academy at Noryangjin Station in Seoul. Unrelated to the article. Photo by Yonhap News.
Once considered a "dream job" among the younger generation, public service positions have rapidly lost their appeal due to low salaries, hostile complaints from the public, and a rigid hierarchical organizational culture. According to the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) and the Supplementary Survey on Youths in the Economically Active Population Survey released on August 25, as of May this year, the number of young people among the economically inactive population preparing for general civil service positions (including police, firefighters, and military service officials) stood at 129,000. This is a decrease of 30,000 from last year and the lowest figure since related statistics began in 2017.
The number of young civil service exam candidates dropped from 306,000 in 2017 to 240,000 in 2019, but increased to 268,000 in 2020 and peaked at 313,000 in 2021 as private-sector hiring shrank during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the figure plummeted to 239,000 in 2022, dropped further to 159,000 last year, and has fallen to the 120,000 range this year-less than half of its peak.
A similar trend was observed among those preparing for the Grade 5 open competitive exam and professional qualification exams. The number of young people preparing for exams such as the Administrative Examination, Patent Attorney, and Certified Public Accountant fell from 105,000 in 2021 to 81,000 this year. The number of candidates preparing for teacher appointments also halved from 40,000 in 2020 to about 24,000 this year. Applicants for public corporations and government agencies decreased from 117,000 in 2020 to 83,000 last year, but slightly rebounded to 92,000 this year.
Young People Choosing Private Companies... Changing Trends in Job Preparation
On the 12th, the Federation of National City County District Public Officials Labor Unions demanding a wage increase for public officials in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office. City County District Federation
In contrast, the number of young people preparing for jobs in the private sector is on the rise. The number of job seekers preparing for positions at large and small to medium-sized companies reached 230,000 this year, up 41,000 from last year, marking the highest level since statistics began in 2017. The total number of job seekers (including both civil service and private sector) was 674,000, an increase of 19,000 from last year.
The main reason for the decline in the popularity of civil service jobs is low pay. According to a survey released last year by the Ministry of Personnel Management, 88.3% of respondents cited "lower pay compared to the private sector" as the reason for the drop in civil service applicants. This was followed by hostile complaints from the public (39.8%) and a rigid hierarchical organizational culture (15.9%).
Amid these concerns, the 2030 Youth Committee of the National Public Officials Labor Union stated last month, "Young talent is leaving public service for economic reasons," and called for improvements in salaries and working conditions. This year, the government raised civil servant pay by 3.0% compared to the previous year, the largest increase in eight years. The government is expected to soon announce a pay raise plan for civil servants as part of next year's budget proposal.
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