[Report] "Hiring Staff"... Self-Employed Businesses Struggling Despite With Corona

Self-Employed Business Owners Raise Hopes for 'With Corona'... "Breath of Relief Expected"
Some Complain of Unexpected 'Labor Shortage'... "No Support Provided"

On the 3rd, citizens are walking along the Hongdae street in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Heo Midam damdam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "There were many shops around that were put up for rent, but now I think things might finally start to ease up."

On the 3rd, Mr. Lee, in his 40s, who runs a restaurant near Hongdae Entrance Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul, expressed his welcome for the recently implemented so-called 'With Corona' (gradual return to daily life) policy.

Mr. Lee said, "It has only been a few days since With Corona started, so there hasn't been any significant change in sales yet," but added, "When there were many confirmed cases, there were hardly any people on the streets. However, since Monday, when With Corona was implemented, there have been noticeably more people out at night. On weekends, there will be even more young people, so I expect the store's sales to increase." He expressed his expectations and added, "We have also posted a job advertisement to hire employees again," and said, "It's fortunate that With Corona was implemented before the end of the year."

Since the phased return to daily life began on the 1st, self-employed business owners have shown mixed reactions. Some are hopeful about recovering sales as restaurants and cafes can operate without time restrictions, while others are worried about an unexpected labor shortage. There are concerns that there are not enough employees to work in stores compared to the increasing number of customers.

Ms. Joo, in her 30s, who runs a flower shop in the bustling area near Hongdae, said, "Sales have been gradually increasing for a few months. Sales haven't surged dramatically since With Corona," but added, "In the long term, I think sales will rise more because more university students will come for in-person classes."

A store located near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, is hiring staff on the 3rd.
Photo by Heo Midam damdam@

Meanwhile, some self-employed business owners were still sighing. Mr. Oh, 34, who runs a pub, said, "The drop in sales due to COVID-19 was so severe that I considered closing the store. It's good that regulations on self-employed business owners have been lifted, but I also worry about when this damage can be recovered," and added, "During COVID-19, the business difficulties were so severe that I had no choice but to lay off employees. Now, I am trying to hire staff again, but even this is not easy. It seems many people prefer convenience stores or other part-time jobs."

In fact, on that day near Hongdae, there were quite a few shops with job vacancy notices posted. Notices were attached to various shops such as chicken restaurants, eateries, and cafes, but citizens seemed uninterested and hurried on their way.

Concerns about labor shortages continue in self-employed business communities as well. A netizen who said they run a gym lamented, "It seems like an era where it is increasingly difficult to find people. It's hard to find trainers, let alone counter staff," and said, "Is unmanned operation the only answer for self-employed businesses now?"

Since the phased daily recovery (With Corona) began on the 1st, some stores have extended their business hours. The photo shows a store near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Heo Midam damdam@

Another netizen who said they work at a food court in Busan also complained, "It's really hard to find employees. We offer 9,500 won per hour and recruit for morning, afternoon, or full-time shifts, but I don't know if it's because kitchen work is tough or if people just don't come."

The difficulties faced by self-employed business owners are also reflected in statistics. According to the job platform 'Alba Heaven,' the number of job postings from January to August this year increased by 44.2% compared to the same period last year, while the number of applications for part-time jobs decreased by 8.4% during the same period.

Some point to job-seeking activity support payments as one of the causes of the labor shortage. Some local governments, including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, have been providing young people with 500,000 won per month as job-seeking activity support since the COVID-19 outbreak. Because the support money can be received without working, there are criticisms that young people are not actively seeking jobs.

Experts point out that creating an environment where young people can work should take priority over providing financial support. Professor Kim Taegi of Dankook University's Department of Economics said, "In fact, young people can receive money even if they don't work, so their motivation or willingness to work decreases," and added, "Such support is probably not what young people want either. Young people would rather prefer working in a good environment than financial support."

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