Employment Minister: "Special Extended Work Hours for Companies with Fewer Than 30 Employees Extended for 2 Years... 110,000 Foreign Workers to Be Introduced Next Year"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 11th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the afternoon of the 27th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The government has decided to push for a legislative amendment to extend the special 8-hour extended working hours system, which is temporarily applied to workplaces with fewer than 30 employees until the end of this year, for an additional two years. Additionally, to alleviate labor shortages in industrial sites, 110,000 foreign workers will be introduced next year.

On the afternoon of the 27th, Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated at the 11th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office building, presided over by President Yoon Seok-yeol, "More than 200,000 job vacancies have persisted since the beginning of this year, and small business owners are expressing difficulties, saying they might have to close because they have no workers."

The minister said, "The additional extended working hours for companies with fewer than 30 employees will expire at the end of this year, but we plan to pursue a legislative amendment to extend the sunset clause for two more years within this year." He added, "Of course, we will ensure that workers' health is not compromised during this process."

According to a survey by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, more than half of small manufacturing businesses with fewer than 30 employees are coping by using the 8-hour additional extended working hours system. There are concerns that if this system ends at the end of this year, small businesses will face severe recruitment difficulties.

The minister also announced the plan to introduce 110,000 foreign workers. He said, "This year, 70,000 foreign workers were introduced, and next year, we plan to bring in 110,000, the largest number since the employment permit system was established," adding, "Of course, we will carefully monitor the job situation in our country as well."

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