"Shortage of Suitable Candidates" vs "Lack of Job Postings"... "To Resolve Job Mismatch, Differences in Perceptions Between Companies and Job Seekers Must Be Addressed First"

Trade Association Conducts Survey on Workforce Recruitment in Trade Industry Targeting Over 700 Companies and 2,000 Job Seekers

Data provided by Korea International Trade Association

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] A survey revealed a significant perception gap regarding jobs between companies and job seekers: companies cited a lack of suitable candidates and applicants as their main difficulties in hiring, while job seekers felt there were too few job postings and insufficient hiring numbers.

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) announced on the 7th that it conducted a 'Survey on Workforce Recruitment in the Trade Industry' in August targeting 773 trade companies seeking employees and 2,127 job seekers, which yielded these results.

According to the survey, companies identified their biggest challenges in recruitment (multiple responses allowed) as 'lack of suitable candidates' (66%) and 'lack of applicants' (49.8%). In contrast, job seekers prioritized 'insufficient job postings' (58.8%) and 'too few hiring positions' (50.2%).

Regarding current and desired salaries, 32% and 26.9% of companies respectively favored the 25 million to 30 million KRW range, while 26.8% and 35.6% of job seekers preferred the 30 million to 35 million KRW range, indicating a discrepancy in salary expectations.

Both companies and job seekers agreed that 'work experience' and 'educational background' were the two most important factors in document screening. However, their third priorities differed: companies selected 'residence' (26.6%), whereas job seekers chose 'certifications' (44.2%). KITA explained, "This indicates that companies value 'long-term employment' while job seekers emphasize 'skill development.'"

The emphasis on work experience and education as top priorities was consistent across all regions in Korea. However, differences emerged from the third priority onward by region. Companies in Seoul and Gyeonggi cited 'self-introduction letters' (38.4%), while companies in other regions prioritized 'residence' (30.2%), suggesting that local companies consider the applicant's place of residence an important evaluation criterion.

Data provided by Korea International Trade Association

Job seekers showed the strongest preference for working in 'Seoul' (56.1%) and 'Gyeonggi' (36.8%), which is interpreted as reflecting that over half (56.6%) of respondents currently reside in these areas.

When comparing desired work locations with current residences, the nationwide match rate was 88.7%, and for job seekers outside Seoul and Gyeonggi, the residence-workplace match rate was 82.5%. KITA analyzed this as indicating that regional job seekers prefer employment near their residence if quality jobs are available.

Regarding recruitment methods, 96% of responding companies reported conducting 'rolling recruitment,' and 86% indicated that interview formats could be 'fully' or 'partially' replaced by online methods, reflecting changes in the hiring environment due to COVID-19.

To address recruitment and employment difficulties, companies identified wage and tax support (69.6%), supply of specialized personnel (48.3%), and information provision (29.8%) as necessary supports. Job seekers responded that provision of recruitment information (55.6%), job placement services (46.7%), and self-introduction letter training (33.5%) were needed.

Jang Seok-min, Secretary General of the Trade Academy, stated, "Based on this survey, we will promote the expansion of local and online job fairs, provide accurate recruitment and job-seeking information, and increase practical experience-based training."

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