중기 850만개 육박했지만…직원 없는 ‘나홀로 사장님’ 늘고 고용은 뒷걸음

In 2024, there were 850,000 medium-sized enterprises in South Korea, comprising 99.9% of all businesses, according to the Ministry of SMEs and Startup's basic statistics released on the 31st. This figure represents a 2.4% increase compared to the previous year, reaching 849,9552 enterprises, which is 99.9% of the total business landscape.

Despite this, the number of employees in these businesses decreased, as the count of businesses with no staff surged by 3.5% to 666,6023, accounting for 78.4% of all enterprises. Conversely, 2+ person companies saw a 1.4% reduction, falling to 1,839,529, marking the first decline since the data's inception.

The trend is evident in the job market as well. The number of 1-person businesses rose by 3.9% to 247,000, while businesses with more than two employees decreased by 1.4% to 1,838,529. The shrinking middle class in the form of 'small enterprises' saw a 3.9% drop to 247,000, and a 4.2% decline in employed staff, signaling a potential contraction of businesses in this phase.

The aging population also played a significant role. Enterprises led by those aged 60 and above saw a 6.8% increase, making up 85% of the overall growth. Consequently, businesses with 60+ owners comprised 269,3382 enterprises, or 31.7% of all businesses, and led in terms of both employee and revenue growth.

However, new startups lagged behind, with the count of businesses less than three years old falling by 3.7% to 2,598,221, and revenue decreasing by 5.6%. This indicates a dwindling stream of new business entrants.

The industry disparities were also stark. Despite accounting for 26.3% of the total, wholesale sectors and real estate (+2.6%) continued to grow, while manufacturing (-0.9%) and hospitality (-0.2%) saw a decrease in both business numbers and revenue. Construction was also adversely affected, with a 3.5% decrease in employees and 3.2% drop in revenue.

Regionally, businesses based in the metropolitan area accounted for 52.7% of the total, up 2.6% from the rest of the country, reinforcing the metropolitan-centric business landscape.