Proportion of Young People in Regional Areas Continues to Decline
Limitations of Policy Effectiveness Highlighted
Although the government is working to expand youth employment opportunities in regional areas, the concentration of young people in the Seoul metropolitan area has actually intensified. As a result, there are calls for a shift in employment policies to effectively encourage young people to settle in local regions.
Job seekers visiting the '2025 Global Talent Fair' held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are looking over the job posting board.
The proportion of young people residing in the Seoul metropolitan area rose from 49.1% in 2000 to 54.5% this year. This indicates that, despite policy support, the trend of declining youth populations in regional areas continues.
Kim Kiheon, Senior Research Fellow at the National Youth Policy Institute, stated in the winter issue of the academic journal "Regional Industry and Employment," jointly published by the Korea Employment Information Service and the Korean Regional Employment Society, "Despite a variety of policies at the central government level, the outflow of young people from local regions continues," adding, "A paradigm shift in policy is urgently needed to encourage young people to stay in their regions." He also commented on the new administration’s youth policy direction, saying, "It remains at the level of expanding existing programs, and lacks a clear core strategy that runs through the entire youth policy framework."
As a direction for improving regional youth policy, Kim suggested a comprehensive approach that links employment policy with housing, education, culture, and welfare, as well as strengthening cooperation between government ministries. He also emphasized the need to build a step-by-step support system that connects local companies with university students from the time they are enrolled, leading to employment and eventual settlement in the region.
There were also arguments that the characteristics of youth migration should be addressed in a more segmented way. Min Bokyung, Research Fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute, highlighted the need for customized policies that take into account gender and life cycle. According to the analysis, the proportion of women moving to the metropolitan area was highest between ages 19 and 24, while for men it was highest between ages 25 and 29. This was interpreted as reflecting differences in the timing of social entry and career formation processes by gender.
Looking at the factors influencing migration by age group, employment issues were the key determinant for young people aged 25 to 29. Min explained, "The lack of high-quality jobs available in regional areas during the early career-building period is fueling the concentration in the metropolitan area."
For those aged 30 to 34, it was found that, in addition to job-related factors, housing issues have a relatively greater impact on migration decisions. Regarding this, Min stated, "Rather than applying uniform policies nationwide, strategies tailored to local conditions and the life stages of young people are needed."
Specifically, she proposed nurturing talent and supporting settlement by linking local universities and companies for young people aged 20 to 24, and expanding the number of quality jobs by fostering strong local small and medium-sized enterprises for those aged 25 to 29. For the 30 to 34 age group, policies focused on housing stability, such as providing long-term public rental housing and strengthening childcare support programs, were suggested as effective alternatives.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
