8,790 Manufacturing Workers from Gyeongnam Flow to Major Cities

More than Half of Manufacturing Workers Moved

Other Industries Such as Retail, Temporary Staffing, and Construction

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Song Jong-gu] It has been investigated that 8,790 manufacturing workers from Gyeongnam have migrated to metropolitan cities.

The Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Gyeongnam conducted and announced the "2022 Gyeongsangnam-do Employment Trends" based on the Employment Insurance DB from the Employment Information Service.

As of the end of 2022, the number of regular workers (hereafter workers) enrolled in employment insurance in the Gyeongnam region was 811,223, an increase of 1.6% compared to the previous year.

Gyeongnam Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

▲ Number of workers by industry

As of the end of 2022, the number of workers in the service industry was 420,347, an increase of 1.8% compared to the previous year, and the number of workers in manufacturing was 332,332 (+1.0%), construction 41,407 (+4.4%), and the number of workers in all major industries increased simultaneously.

The number of workers by manufacturing industry, which is Gyeongnam's main industry, was highest in machinery and equipment with 64,678, followed by other transportation equipment with 59,761, metal processed products with 36,375, automobiles and trailers with 35,806, and electrical equipment with 26,708.

Among these, the industries that led the increase in manufacturing workers were food products (+4.9%), automobile parts (+4.1%), metal processed products (+3.6%), medical, precision, and optical instruments (+2.8%), non-metallic mineral products (+2.4%), and machinery and equipment (+1.7%).

▲ Number of employed and retired workers

The cumulative number of employed workers in 2022 was 426,511, an increase of 0.7% compared to the previous year, and the number of retirees also increased by 2.6% to 408,322. Among the employed, the number of experienced workers (re-employed) was 379,633, up 0.8% from the previous year, and the number of new hires was 46,878, up 0.1%.

Looking at the number of new hires by age group, those in their 20s and 30s increased by 1.7% and 6.8%, respectively, showing an increase for two consecutive years. This increase in new hires in their 20s and 30s is more pronounced in manufacturing, interpreted as the younger generation beginning to actively replace retiring (retirement age) workers who have naturally left over the more than 40 years since the establishment of the local industry.

In particular, this employment market trend among workers aged 60 and over is more prominent in manufacturing, suggesting the need to develop ways to utilize experienced middle-aged workers as local industrial assets.

▲ Worker career mobility status

During 2022, the number of workers who moved from Gyeongnam to other regions was 101,809, while the number of workers who moved into Gyeongnam from other regions was 94,933, resulting in a net outflow of 6,876 workers.

By region, the number of workers moving out was highest to Busan with 32,437, followed by Seoul with 23,741, Gyeonggi-do with 13,202, Ulsan with 6,051, Gyeongsangbuk-do with 5,733, Daegu with 3,886, Jeollanam-do with 3,402, and Chungcheongnam-do with 2,838.

Conversely, the number of workers moving in from Busan was 32,041, Seoul 23,533, Gyeonggi-do 10,469, Ulsan 5,828, Gyeongsangbuk-do 5,033, Daegu 3,948, Jeollanam-do 2,658, and Chungcheongnam-do 2,273.

Looking at net inflow and outflow calculated from worker inflows and outflows, there was a net outflow from Gyeongnam to all 16 domestic cities and provinces, with the largest net outflow of 2,733 workers to Gyeonggi-do.

The net outflow of workers is particularly prominent in manufacturing. The number of manufacturing workers who moved from Gyeongnam to other regions was 39,166, while those who moved into Gyeongnam's manufacturing sector from other regions was 3,376, resulting in a total net outflow of 8,790 manufacturing workers.

A representative from the Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, "The outflow of experienced personnel centered on manufacturing is read as a negative signal for Gyeongnam's productivity-focused industry," adding, "More than half of the manufacturing personnel who moved to other regions are found to be employed in industries other than the same manufacturing sector, so policies to encourage the re-employment of these experienced manufacturing workers within the region should be strengthened to maintain the region's industrial competitiveness."

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