Korean Job Seekers Lower Standards as Employment Market Tightens

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — More than half of South Korean job seekers say they are willing to accept positions at any company amid growing economic uncertainty, according to a new survey released on February 3. Career platform Saramin found that 55.2% of 464 entry-level job seekers surveyed said they would work “anywhere that offers [...]The post Korean Job Seekers Lower Standards as Employment Market Tightens appeared first on Be Korea-savvy.

More than half of South Korean job seekers say they are willing to accept positions at any company amid growing economic uncertainty. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — More than half of South Korean job seekers say they are willing to accept positions at any company amid growing economic uncertainty, according to a new survey released on February 3.

Career platform Saramin found that 55.2% of 464 entry-level job seekers surveyed said they would work “anywhere that offers employment,” abandoning preferences for specific types of companies. The remaining respondents preferred small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups (15.

1%), mid-sized companies (12.1%), public corporations (8.4%), large conglomerates (7.

3%), and foreign companies (1.9%). The primary reason for this flexible approach was “needing to find employment quickly” (55.

1%), followed by “exhaustion from prolonged job hunting” (39.1%), “lacking competitive advantages compared to others” (31.3%), and “reduced hiring due to poor economic conditions” (28.

5%). Among those who still maintained specific company preferences, salary was the top consideration (24%), followed by work-life balance (14.4%), employee benefits (13.

9%), career development opportunities (12%), job security (10.6%), corporate culture (9.6%), and office location (6.

3%). The survey revealed that job seekers’ average desired base salary, excluding performance bonuses, was 33.94 million won.

The majority aimed for salaries between 25-30 million won (36.2%) or 30-35 million won (30.8%), with smaller percentages seeking 35-40 million won (17.

2%), 40-45 million won (6.9%), and 45-50 million won (4.1%).

However, the study also found that 37.3% of respondents planned to prepare for a job change even if they secured a position at their target company. These individuals expected to begin looking for new opportunities after an average of 1.

8 years of employment. A significant 90.2% planned to seek new employment within three years, with the most common timeframes being 1-1.

5 years (19.7%) and 2.5-3 years (19.

7%). M. H.

Lee ([email protected]).