GGM to Hire 50 New Employees This Year... Plans to Produce Over 60,000 Units

Units Per Hour Increased from 26.7 to 29.5

Exterior view of Gwangju Global Motors.

Amid a crisis in which young people in the Gwangju region are leaving their hometowns due to a lack of job opportunities, Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) has announced plans to hire around 50 new employees through an open recruitment process this year.

According to GGM on January 11, the company produced a record 58,400 units last year, driven by strong domestic and international sales of the Casper, surpassing a cumulative production milestone of 200,000 vehicles and establishing itself as a global automotive manufacturing specialist.

This year, GGM plans to increase production of electric vehicles and export models, aiming to manufacture 61,200 units-a 4.8% (2,800 units) increase from the previous year. As the production target surpasses 60,000 units for the first time, the company will also boost its units per hour (UPH) output from the current 26.7 to 29.5. With an investment of over 7.2 billion won in facility expansion, GGM requires an additional 50 employees, prompting the open recruitment drive.

Applications will be accepted until January 19. Afterward, candidates will go through an AI competency assessment, document screening, interviews, and a health check, with employment scheduled to begin on March 9. Applications can be submitted through the recruitment website.

In the previous open recruitment held in September last year, 992 applicants competed for 27 positions, resulting in a high competition rate of 36.7 to 1 on average.

This surge in applicants is attributed to several independent factors: the simultaneous downturn in the local electronics and construction industries, job losses and furloughs caused by fires at major factories, and the recession in the Yeosu Petrochemical Industrial Complex in South Jeolla Province, all of which have intensified economic difficulties in the region. As a result, GGM is providing hope to local young people facing a severe job crisis.

Since GGM began full-scale production of the Casper in September 2021, annual output has continued to rise, increasing available work and boosting employment from 555 in 2021 to 706 last year. With the addition of around 50 new hires, the workforce will have grown by about 200 over five years, reaching 756 employees this year. Notably, 90% of employees are from Gwangju and South Jeolla, and 85% are in their 20s and 30s.

As production has increased, so have working hours and average annual salaries for technical staff. In 2021, the average annual salary was just 31 million won, but by 2025, including Gwangju City’s housing support of 3.6 million won, it has risen significantly to 49 million won. Of this, the mutual growth incentive has increased by 15% (750,000 won) from the previous year, reaching a maximum of 5.9 million won-up 96% (2.9 million won) compared to 2023’s 3 million won.

Additionally, starting in January this year, a job-based pay component has been introduced, allowing employees to receive an extra 50,000 to 100,000 won per month depending on job difficulty and work performance. This effectively amounts to a 3% wage increase; when combined with last year’s 2.1% inflation rate, it results in a total increase of 5%, pushing the average annual salary for technical staff above 50 million won.

A Gwangju Global Motors representative stated, "GGM is a company established as a social contribution initiative to create jobs for young people in Gwangju and South Jeolla. Although we regret that the transition to a two-shift system did not happen this year, we will continue to pursue it and do our utmost to create an additional 400 jobs."