The number of large companies hiring has decreased by 15% over the past two years, with the proportion of youth employment decreasing further. According to 31st, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, out of 100 major companies, 76 companies, or 76%, have reduced their hiring. In 2020, the number of large companies that reduced hiring was 55, or 55%, but this number increased to 64, or 64%, last year, and 76, or 76%, this year. In terms of the number of hiring, it decreased from 11,776 in 2020 to 10,013 last year, and further decreased to 9,991 this year. The total number of hiring by large companies over the past three years was 31,780, a decrease of 15% compared to 37,419 for the previous three years. The proportion of hiring for those in their 20s also decreased. The proportion of hiring for those in their 20s out of the total hiring by large companies was 47.1% in 2020, but decreased to 41.9% last year and 40.9% this year. In particular, among large companies, those in the manufacturing and IT sectors have significantly reduced their hiring. The number of large manufacturing companies that reduced hiring increased from 29 in 2020 to 40 last year and 53 this year. The number of large IT companies that reduced hiring increased from 11 in 2020 to 18 last year and 25 this year. An official from the Ministry of Employment and Labor said, "The economic situation is difficult, so large companies are reducing their hiring." The official continued, "We are preparing measures to encourage companies to hire more."

A recent analysis reveals a "centennial reversal" phenomenon in South Korea's major corporations, with a 15% drop in new hires over the past two years and a dwindling percentage of junior staff aged 30 and below. The human resource research organization, Leader's Index, examined the 2023-2025 employment situation of 132 domestic firms and found that while total employment fell by just 0.3%, the decline in younger workers was significant.

The number of employees aged 30 and younger dropped by 13.8%, from 26,734,343 to 23,443, while the proportion of those aged 50 and above rose by 4.8%, from 22,133,333 to 23,184,848. As a result, the share of junior workers in the overall workforce declined from 21.2% to 18.3%, while the share of senior workers increased from 17.5% to 18.4%.

This trend is largely due to the prolongation of the retirement age for existing employees, leading to a slowdown in workforce turnover. The study analyzed companies in South Korea's top 500 that have disclosed age-specific employment data and yearly recruitment figures. Similarly, the decline in new hires was evident in the 113 companies that disclosed their recruitment numbers, with a 15.3% drop in new hires from 10,945,656 in 2023 to 9,268, in 2025.

The proportion of junior hires in these companies fell from 56.4% to 51.1%. However, the proportion of senior hires rose from 8.3% to 11.2%. Industries with higher domestic demand, such as retail, saw a higher proportion of senior workers, with retail having the highest share at 31.8%. On the other hand, some companies have reduced their junior hires dramatically, with Hite Jinro cutting its number of new hires aged 29 and under from 82 in 2023 to one in 2024.

Despite this, growth industries such as semiconductors, including SK Hynix, saw a significant increase in junior hires, with a 10-fold increase from 739 in 2023 to 3,201 in 2024. Hanwha Aerospace and Samsung Bioengineering also increased their junior hires by 89.7% and 136.1%, respectively.