"A Disliked Workplace Becomes a Lifelong Job: Employees Stuck Due to COVID-19"

3 out of 5 Office Workers "Changed Job Transfer Plans Due to COVID-19"
Experts "Stable Environment Became More Important Due to COVID-19"

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim Mo (30), an office worker at a small and medium-sized enterprise, has recently been struggling with job change issues. Kim decided to change jobs two months ago but has been unable to leave the company easily due to a lack of suitable job openings. He said, "I decided to quit because of ongoing conflicts with my boss. I even told my parents, but there are no job openings to move to right now," adding, "My parents also tell me to 'hang in there a little longer.' It's sad that I can't change jobs freely because of COVID-19."

As the employment market froze due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), office workers who had decided to change jobs found themselves stuck. There are fewer hiring opportunities than in the past, making it somewhat difficult to change jobs. Experts analyze that the aftermath of COVID-19 has led workers to seek more stable environments.

Lee Mo (25), who has been working for one month, said, "I joined the company in early May. At a time when even part-time jobs were hard to find, I thought I was lucky to get a job at first," but added, "However, there are too many overtime hours, and it's physically exhausting. I decided to quit several times, but I couldn't easily submit my resignation."

According to a survey, 3 out of 5 office workers experienced changes in their job change plans due to COVID-19. A survey conducted by Job Korea last month targeting 478 office workers with intentions to change jobs found that 64.4% of respondents said, "My job change plans have changed due to COVID-19." Among them, 61% said, "I postponed changing jobs compared to my original plan."

Those who postponed or gave up on changing jobs cited reasons such as ▲There are not many companies hiring (52.1%) ▲It seems difficult to change jobs under good conditions (44.7%) ▲It feels like a time to endure at the current company rather than changing jobs (35.6%) ▲The competition for job changes seems too fierce (11.9%).

Choi Mo (26), who has been working in advertising for six months, also gave up on changing jobs. He said, "I was constantly considering changing jobs because the industry itself didn't suit me. But I don't have the confidence to quit now and immediately find another job," adding, "I think I have no choice but to endure. If I quit recklessly, I don't know when I will get hired again, and I don't want to worry my parents."

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

The employment freeze caused by COVID-19 is intensifying. According to the 'May 2020 Employment Trends' announced by Statistics Korea on the 10th, the number of unemployed people last month was 1,278,000, an increase of 133,000 compared to the same period last year. The unemployment rate also rose by 0.5 percentage points from April to 4.5%. This is the highest since related statistics began in 1999.

As a result, parents hope their children stay at one job for a long time. Kang Mo (55), who has two children, said, "As a parent, I hope they don't change jobs. These days, it's hard to find even part-time jobs because of COVID-19. Now is the time to hold on to their original positions no matter what," adding, "Isn't it a parent's wish for their children to work more stably, even if just a little longer?"

Experts analyze that as employment becomes unstable due to COVID-19, the younger generation is also seeking stable environments rather than taking risks.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "The older generation had a strong concept of 'lifetime employment,' staying at one company for a long time. Therefore, they feel anxious about changing jobs. On the other hand, the younger generation tends to change jobs immediately if their current job does not meet their expectations or if they can get slightly better conditions at another company."

She added, "However, due to the instability caused by COVID-19, the younger generation has also become more inclined to stay in one place. In other words, this can be seen as a psychological tendency to maintain the status quo."

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