Ministry of Employment Holds COVID-19 Meeting: "Full Support Needed for Job Retention and Livelihood Assistance"

Minister Lee Jae-gap of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Employment and labor experts unanimously agreed that to prevent labor market shocks caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, urgent government support is needed to maintain workers' employment and provide livelihood assistance to vulnerable groups.

On the 9th, Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor, held a meeting with experts in the employment and labor sector at the Royal Hotel in Seoul to assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the domestic labor market and discuss response measures.

The experts agreed that maintaining workers' jobs is the most important factor in overcoming labor market shocks. Accordingly, they emphasized the need for the government to fully support companies in maintaining employment and assist workers' livelihoods.

They also presented opinions on long-term response directions such as expanding job safety nets and preparing for new employment and labor environments after COVID-19.

In particular, they saw the need for prompt support for vulnerable groups in the blind spots of employment insurance, such as workers in special employment types and small-scale self-employed individuals. Since it is difficult for them to prove unemployment status, there was consensus on the need for support regarding partial unemployment and wage reductions as well.

Minister Lee stated, "Above all, maintaining workers' employment must be pursued as the top priority," and added, "If employment is maintained through various means such as reduced working hours, temporary closures, or leaves of absence despite difficult conditions in industrial sites, we will fully support these efforts."

He continued, "Now is the time to consider proactive responses to changes in the labor market," and said, "It is necessary to consider response measures to changes such as the rapid advancement of the non-face-to-face and platform economy and the spread of new working styles."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.