input2023.03.26 18:10
correction2023.03.26 18:10
faceA1
1.58 million people work 1-14 hours a week
500,000 people in 5 years ↑… decline in employment quality
CEO Mo Choi (38), who runs an ‘escape room cafe’ in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, limits the working hours per part-time worker to 14 hours or less per week. If you work more than 15 hours, you have to pay not only weekly holiday pay, but redundancy pay as well. Representative Choi complained, “A few years ago, workers even took care of the weekly holiday pay they receive on paid holidays, but nowadays, keeping up with the minimum wage increase is overwhelming .”
According to related industries on the 26th, the result of the ‘income-led growth’ of the Moon Jae-in administration, which focused on a sharp increase in the minimum wage, is hitting the self-employed industries and small and medium-sized businesses. Last year, the number of very short-term workers reached an all-time high as small business owners who felt the burden of a sharp increase in the minimum wage employed as ‘ultra-short-time part-timers’ as a last resort.
According to a survey by the National Statistical Office, the number of employed people who worked 1 to 14 hours a week last year was 1,577,000, an increase of 65,000 since the previous year. This is an increase of around 500,000 compared to 2018 (1,095,000) when the minimum wage started to rise dramatically. It accounted for 5.6% of the total employed (28,089,000). The figure relating to very short-term employment was the highest since 2000, when statistics began to be collected.
As the minimum wage approached 10,000 won, life for job seekers became fruitless. Mr. Park said, “I wanted to earn a living by working part-time after completing the college entrance exam, but I wasted time looking at interviews here and there.” The number of workers not even receiving the minimum wage increased by 250,000 from the previous year to 3.21 million in 2021.
The minimum wage this year is 9,620 won per hour. Since 2017 (6470 won), it has risen 48% in six years. However, Professor Lee of Yonsei University’s Department of Business Administration noted, “Job losses are severe in the wholesale and retail and hospitality industries.”
Reporter Hyungchang Choi calling@hankyung.com
