Job seekers in Korea spend $400 monthly preparing for employment, survey finds

Nearly 70% of young job seekers in South Korea struggle financially due to the expenses associated with their job search, spending an average of $400 per month, according to a recent survey. The Federation of Korean Industries commissioned Mono Research to survey 1,000 job seekers aged 19 to 34 nationwide between September 10 and 18.

The largest portion of their preparation budgets was allocated to certification and language-test fees, which accounted for 30.7% of their expenses, followed by education costs at 22.6% and textbooks and study materials at 16.1%. Job seekers who had spent three years or more preparing for employment faced a higher financial burden, with monthly expenses averaging $800 compared to $560 for those preparing for less than six months.

Job seekers aged 30 to 34 spent the most on preparation, averaging $600 per month, while those aged 25 to 29 and 19 to 24 spent $580 and $560 respectively. Among academic fields, those studying education, medicine, and health reported the highest expenses.