South Korea plans to create 800,000 jobs for its senior citizens by 2022, the government said Friday, in an effort to deal with a fast aging population that may undermine the country’s growth. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to create 800,000 jobs for its senior citizens by 2022, the government said Friday, in an effort to deal with a fast aging population that may undermine the country’s growth.
According to the blueprint announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the government aims to increase new positions for people aged 65 or older from the current 467,000.
The move comes as the country is fast becoming an aged society, with the senior population surpassing that of very young people for the first time last year.
The number of people over 65 years reached 7.07 million in 2017, accounting for a record 13.8 percent of all citizens, according to data released by Statistics Korea.
“It has become increasingly important for senior people who have the ability and will to work to become actively involved in society,” said Lim In-taek, a ministry official, expressing the hope that the plan will serve as an opportunity to provide quality jobs.
The government will help each senior citizen find a decent position through a customized service.
A recent study showed that seniors complain the most about the difficulties in getting access to relevant information and about the limited options for education and training in order for them to land a job or establish their own business.
(Yonhap)
