[Report] Unemployed People Pouring Out from Hospitals, Bindaetteok Restaurants, Travel Agencies, and Karaoke Rooms...

On-site Visit to Seoul Jung-gu and Seolleung Employment Centers
Unemployed People of All Industries and Ages Say "The Whole Family Might Be Jobless from the Start of the New Year"

On the 15th, at the Seoul Employment Welfare Plus Center unemployment benefits briefing room located in Jung-gu, Seoul, attendees are sitting spaced apart to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while listening to an instructor wearing a mask, face shield, and gloves explain the conditions for receiving unemployment benefits and the required documents.
Photo by Joonhyung Lee, Junior Reporter

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyunjung, Lee Junhyung (intern), Kim Suhwan (intern)] "I was fired last month from the Bindaetteok restaurant where I worked for nearly two and a half years, and my husband, who does building cleaning, was told to stop working after this month. Our daughter in her 20s, who is preparing for employment, is still unemployed... From the beginning of the new year, it looks like the whole family will be unemployed." (61-year-old Ms. Lee)

"I left the convenience store where I worked for four years at the end of last month. As sales dropped, all employees except the two co-owners quit. I have never taken a break from work since becoming an adult, but now I feel lost about where to submit my resume." (25-year-old Mr. Jung)

On the 15th, when the severe cold below freezing continued, at the Seoul Employment Welfare Plus Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, about thirty attendees sat spaced apart facing the instructor fully equipped with masks, face shields, and latex gloves at the unemployment benefits briefing session. These were people who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and came to receive unemployment benefits and job search support. Their ages and previous industries varied, but their expressions were uniformly gloomy. They were all worried about 'how and with what' to endure the pandemic situation.

Ms. Kim, a nursing assistant in her 40s whom we met on site, lost her job last month after enduring wage arrears and forced leave. She said, "The hospital (general hospital) undergoing rehabilitation procedures due to financial difficulties went bankrupt this month. Even though I wasn’t paid, I went to work, but after repeated forced leaves and reinstatements, I finally resigned last month." She explained, "The nursing assistant field usually has high employment fluidity, so jobs were easy to find before, but for now, I plan to keep searching steadily."

Mr. Kim, in his 50s, who worked at a karaoke counter for four years, has been unable to find any work for five months since the workplace closed in August this year. He said, "Similar businesses have all closed, so I am looking for work through job centers and the internet," and lamented, "Due to my age, the jobs I can do are limited and the opportunities are narrow." Mr. Kwon, in his 60s, who worked as a day laborer at a construction site, said, "The construction I was working on ended in June, and I have been receiving unemployment benefits since July," and worried, "I paid 130,000 won to apply for a three-day private security training, but the schedule keeps getting postponed due to COVID-19."

Reflecting this situation, employment indicators continue to plummet. According to the 'November Employment Trends' announced by Statistics Korea on the 16th, the number of employed people last month was 27,241,000, down 273,000 from a year earlier. This marks nine consecutive months of decline since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, the longest period since the IMF crisis (January 1998 to April 1999). This indicator does not yet reflect the nationwide third wave resurgence, so the year-end figures to be announced next month are expected to worsen further. By age group, employment increased by 372,000 for those aged 60 and over, but decreased for all other age groups. Moreover, the number of temporarily absent workers, considered a 'detonator' for the worsening job market, rose by 189,000 to 474,000, the highest since statistics began in 1982.

The COVID-19-induced employment freeze did not spare young people in their 20s either. Mr. Yoon, 27, who worked as a construction site manager, said, "I worked until the 12th of last month and was then laid off," adding, "Since it was a small company, they immediately carried out restructuring." Mr. Park, a 30-year-old pharmacist who worked at a pharmacy in Busan, recently got married and moved to Seoul but has yet to find a pharmacy looking for a part-time pharmacist. He said, "Even in winter, respiratory patients have decreased and hospital visitors have dropped, so pharmacies are experiencing reduced sales," he reported.

The situation is even more severe for industries like travel and event planning, which have been unable to resume operations all year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Mr. Song, in his 40s, said, "I have worked in the travel industry for over 10 years, but recently I lived on public work projects," explaining, "That ended on the 30th of last month, and now I am on unpaid leave affiliated with a travel agency." He added, "Even if vaccines come out, it seems difficult to resume travel immediately, so I am thinking of finding other work." Mr. Park, in his 50s, whom we met at the Gangnam Employment Welfare Plus Center near Seolleung Station, said, "I ran an event planning company, but due to gathering bans, there was no revenue this year," and added, "I temporarily closed the company and came to the center hoping to find even a side job."

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