People stand in line to attend a presentation on how to receive unemployment benefits at a labor welfare center in Seoul on Jan. 13, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the South Korean job market has been felt most severely among non-regular workers.
The civic group Workplace Gapjil 119 conducted surveys of 1,000 salaried workers four times last year.
The share of those who experienced job loss stood at 5.5 percent in the first survey (April) and rose to 12.9 percent in the second survey (June), 15.1 percent in the third survey (September) and 17.2 percent in the fourth survey (December).
By job type, the share of those who experienced job loss among regular workers increased slightly from 3.5 percent to 4 percent, 4.3 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.
In this file photo, state unemployment benefit recipients get employment counseling at a state job placement center in central Seoul on April 13, 2020. (Yonhap)
In contrast, the share for non-regular workers shot up from 8.5 percent to 26.3 percent, 31.3 percent and 36.8 percent.
The organization insisted that the government’s support for non-regular workers who are not covered by employment insurance is limited only to the emergency employment stability subsidy of 2 million won (US$1,790), making them refugees in the job market.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
