This file photo, provided by Samsung Heavy Industries Co., shows a group of Indonesians posing for a photo upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Jan. 2, 2023, to work for the company.
SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government provided more than 10,000 workers, including around 8,400 foreign workers, for local shipbuilders in the first half of 2023 in an effort to ease pandemic-related labor shortages, the industry ministry said Wednesday.
A total of 10,104 South Korean and foreign workers were employed by shipbuilders here during the January-June period either through the government’s job training programs or both professional and non-professional visa issuance, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The government issued the E-7 visa to 5,209 foreign workers and the E-9 visa to 3,179 people from overseas in the first half for their employment in the shipbuilding industry.
Some 1,716 South Koreans got a job in the industry after wrapping up state-run job training programs in the first half, the ministry said.
Domestic shipbuilders were earlier expected to face a manpower shortage of around 14,000 workers combined this year.
The companies relying on immigrant workers have been experiencing a labor shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent heightened border controls, and the government is working to increase the quota of foreign workers to address the issue.
(Yonhap)
