Jobs Emerge as Top Factor Behind Falling Births and Regional Flight in South Korea (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — As demographic decline accelerates across South Korea, a new national survey suggests that a lack of appealing jobs is the single most important reason people are leaving regional areas — and choosing not to raise children there.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) released the findings Thursday at its 14th Population Forum in Seoul, where researchers presented nationwide survey results on public perceptions of regional population shifts and community life.
The poll, conducted last month with 5,000 respondents aged 19 to 69, illustrates growing concern over regional decline as the Seoul metropolitan area continues to absorb a majority share of the population.
According to KIHASA, the capital region accounted for 50.9 percent of the nation’s population last year, up from 50 percent in 2019. Of the country’s 229 municipalities, 79 percent recorded population declines in 2023 alone.
Asked why birth numbers are falling, respondents gave the highest score to “lack of satisfying jobs,” at 3.61 out of 5. High housing costs (3.27), insufficient amenities (2.98) and inadequate educational facilities (2.97) followed.
The same ranking was given when respondents were asked why people leave regional areas: jobs were far and away the leading factor, scoring 3.80.
Pedestrians passing through downtown Seoul (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Koreans also viewed job disparities as the starkest divide between the capital region and the rest of the country. On a five-point scale measuring the severity of regional imbalance, “employment opportunities” scored 4.05, higher than economic level (3.87), housing and transportation (3.76), and access to daily amenities (3.71).
“Across all questions — declining births, regional out-migration, and metropolitan-regional imbalance — employment was consistently identified as the core issue,” said KIHASA researcher Lee Ji-hye. “Jobs are the most fundamental foundation for sustaining community life,” she added, calling for stronger job-creation policies tailored to regional needs.
The survey also revealed generational divides in neighborhood ties. Younger adults reported far weaker local connections: 36 percent of respondents aged 19 to 34 said they had no neighbors they even greet, and 63.3 percent said there was no one nearby with whom they could exchange small favors, such as accepting a package.
Among seniors 60 and older, 27.9 percent said they had at least seven neighbors they greet regularly, while only 6.7 percent said they greet none.
The findings come as policymakers grapple with accelerating demographic decline and widening regional disparities — trends many experts warn pose long-term risks to social cohesion and economic sustainability.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
