Gwangju City Operates Rural Workforce Brokerage Center to Address Labor Shortage
Published 14 Apr.2025 11:12(KST)
Updated 27 Jul.2025 09:42(KST)
Priority Brokerage for Elderly and Small-Scale Farms
Practical Support Including Transportation Expenses for Agricultural Workers
Gwangju City announced on the 14th that it will operate the 'Rural Workforce Brokerage Center' to address the shortage of labor during the busy farming season caused by the decline and aging of the rural population.
The city will invest a total project cost of 250 million KRW to operate the workforce brokerage center starting in April, when the busy farming season begins, with Nam-gu (Daechon Nonghyup) and Gwangsan-gu (Pyeongdong and Donggok Nonghyup) as its bases.
The workforce brokerage center plans to recruit workers during peak farming periods and effectively connect them to farms experiencing labor shortages. In particular, it will prioritize support for vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone, senior farmers, women-only households, and small-scale farms.
In addition, participating farms will receive support for on-site training costs, while agricultural workers will be provided with transportation and accommodation expenses, team leader allowances, and insurance premiums. However, wages for participants in agricultural work must be paid directly by the respective farms.
Last year, the city connected 2,290 agricultural workers to 1,255 farms facing labor shortages through the Rural Workforce Brokerage Center, achieving a total of 20,824 brokerage cases.
Nam Taeksong, Director of the Agricultural and Animal Policy Division, said, "This project is a win-win model that effectively connects idle local labor to the rural workforce shortage issue," and added, "We will expand the Rural Workforce Brokerage Center to enhance the sustainability of agriculture and improve farm productivity."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.