SEOUL, Mar. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Statistics Korea has revealed that the cost of hiring caregivers rose by 6.9 percent last year, the largest jump since 2005. Last year’s overall consumer price index only rose by 1.5 percent. The only other time that the cost of caregivers has jumped as much was in 2008, when [...]
SEJONG, Mar. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — In South Korea, more than half of urban residents returning to the countryside for farming went back to their hometown to start a farming business, and recent data shows that in as little as five years, their household income surpassed the average income in the country’s farming industry. The [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — The staff at film festivals are exposed to poor working conditions, working an average of 13.4 hours a day and up to 90 hours a week, according to a survey. The results were based on information provided by 40 staff members of the film industry from last September to [...]
SEJONG, Mar. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s total spending on private education for children came to about 19.5 trillion won (US$17.2 billion) in 2018, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, government data showed Tuesday. The data compiled by Statistics Korea showed that 72.8 percent of 5.58 million students across the country received private [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean people tend to spend less in restaurants and hotels during traditional holiday seasons, such as the Lunar New Year and Chuseok, a report said Tuesday. According to the monthly report by the Bank of Korea (BOK), credit card purchases at local food and accommodation service businesses fall [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of couples over the age of 60 are applying for divorce counseling, data released by a provider of free legal consultation services showed Monday. The Korea Legal Aid Center for Family Relations (KLACFR) said it handled 4,653 clients who wanted help with divorce last year, with [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of gas stations in South Korea dropped for the fourth straight year in 2018 amid worsening profitability facing the industry, data showed Monday. As of end-December, 11,769 petrol stations were operational across the country, down 196 from a year earlier, according to the data by the Korea [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Growth of South Korea’s housing-related outlays reached a five-year high in 2018 due mainly to severe cold waves and scorching heat, central bank data showed Monday. Local households spent 148.4 trillion won (US$131 billion) on heating, water use and rent last year, up 4.3 percent from a year earlier, [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean workers’ spending on education and hobbies increased last year, due largely to the implementation of the government’s 52-hour workweek policy, government data showed Sunday Total household spending on private education came to 42.24 trillion won (US$37.15 billion) last year, up 3.22 percent from a year earlier, according [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Job openings in South Korea dropped to an 88-month low on the last working day of January, a clear testament to the difficulties facing people trying to find work, state statistics showed Sunday. The Korean Statistical Information Service said that nationwide job openings for businesses with one or more [...]