250,000 Enrolled in Platform Employment Insurance in 100 Days... 6 out of 10 Are 'Riders'

'Platform Employment Insurance' Subscribers Total 249,932... 60% Are Riders
About 150,000 Short-Term Contract Workers Under 1 Month... 94% Male Ratio

On December 28 last year, delivery workers affiliated with the Rider Union held a press conference in front of the Baedal Minjok Southern Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, urging the introduction of a safety delivery fee for Baedal Minjok riders. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The number of platform workers enrolled in employment insurance has reached 250,000. It has been 100 days since the government expanded the scope of employment insurance coverage to include some platform workers such as riders (delivery drivers) from the beginning of this year as part of strengthening the social safety net.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 15th, as of the 11th of this month, the number of platform workers enrolled in employment insurance was 249,932, and the number of workplaces was 26,390. Previously, to minimize social damage caused by COVID-19, the Ministry of Employment and Labor gradually expanded the scope of employment insurance coverage from 2020 to include artists and 12 types of special-type workers (special employment types, or "teukgo"). Quick service workers such as riders and designated drivers were classified as platform workers and included in the employment insurance coverage from January 1 of this year.

Employment insurance subscription rate of platform workers by occupation. [Photo by Ministry of Employment and Labor]

The enrollment rate was higher for quick service workers than for designated drivers. Quick service workers accounted for 64.3% (160,681) of all platform workers enrolled in employment insurance. Among them, 93.3% (149,923) were food delivery riders working through delivery applications (apps), making up 60% of the total enrollees. This reflects the fact that the surge in delivery demand due to COVID-19 has established riders as a core group among platform workers. The number of workplaces was higher for designated drivers (18,438) than for quick service workers (7,952), despite the latter having a higher proportion of workers.

Platform workers working under short-term contracts of less than one month totaled 147,386 (59%), which is 44,840 more than general labor providers (102,546) working under contracts of one month or longer. Regionally, the highest number of enrollees worked in Seoul, accounting for 40.8% or about 4 out of 10. Gyeonggi Province (18.9%) and Incheon (7.4%) followed. This is attributed to the fact that the majority of food delivery riders, who make up the largest share of enrollees, are concentrated in Seoul.

Employment insurance subscription rate of platform workers by age group.
[Photo by Ministry of Employment and Labor]

Gender disparity was also notable. The proportion of male enrollees was about 94% (234,644), while female enrollees numbered only 15,288, accounting for 6%. By age group, those in their 40s were the largest at 29.1% (72,669), followed by those in their 50s (25%), 30s (23%), and 20s (13%).

Meanwhile, on the same day, Deputy Minister Park Hwa-jin of the Ministry of Employment and Labor visited the Kyeongin Special Employment Type Center of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service to check the on-site situation, marking 100 days since the implementation of employment insurance for platform workers. The Special Employment Type Center was established in September last year to support employment and industrial accident insurance tasks for 12 types of special employment workers.

Deputy Minister Park said, “Expanding the scope of employment insurance to platform workers is the first step in protecting workers in response to labor market volatility,” adding, “We plan to continue promoting the transition to an income-based employment insurance system to protect various types of labor providers under the social safety net.”

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