Korea's temporary jobs fall to 31-year Q3 low

In the third quarter of 2023, the number of temporary and daily workers in Korea reached its lowest point in 31 years, according to government data released on Sunday. The combined figure declined by 95,000 from the previous year, settling at 5.73 million. This marked the lowest third-quarter level since 1995, as analyzed from microdata provided by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Of the total, daily workers experienced a record third-quarter low, falling by 38,000 to 833,000, primarily due to a weak construction sector. The construction sector saw a decline of 28,000 daily construction workers, comprising 74.6 percent of the overall drop. Workers in their 50s witnessed the steepest decline, with a drop of 21,000.

Temporary workers, whose contracts last between one month and a year, fell by 57,000 to 4.89 million during the same period. The accommodation and food services sector recorded the largest decline in temporary workers, down by 30,000, followed by construction and information and communications, each reporting a loss of 22,000 temporary workers.