It seems that the number of temp workers in South Korea are on the rise. According to data by Statistics Korea, the number of non-regular workers, which include part-timers and gig workers, now total about 8.07 million as of August 2021. This is a huge increase of 640,000 people, or 8.6 percent compared to that of 2020.
The growing temp worker talent pool is also highly diverse, with 55.7 percent of irregular workers being female and 44.3 percent being male. There are also plenty of senior workers who are entering the irregular workforce, with up to 29.8 percent being in their 60s, while 20.7 percent of temp workers are within the 50s age bracket.
The increasing number of temporary workers was attributed to the consequences of the pandemic. The average monthly salary for temporary workers was 1.77 million won (US$1,516) between June and August, up 58,000 won (US$49.7) from the previous year. This was less than half of the 3.34 million won (US$2,860) that regular workers received.
As of September 2021, South Korea has reported the seventh straight month of economic growth. This is a testament to the nation’s recovery efforts, and everything points towards this trend continuing. Regardless, job recovery remains relatively uneven among all industries. Considering that the world is currently in the midst of a ‘Great Resignation’, overall hiring is likely to remain so for the time being.
