<Anchor> It
is a friendly economy time.
Today (31st), I will be with reporter Kwon Ae-ri.
I heard that the number of jobs in the 40s is the only one among all age groups to decrease?
<Reporter>
Yes.
It's a very worrying issue.
It has a lot of implications for our job situation right now.
It was found that the employment rate of those in their 40s was the only one to decrease in all age groups over the past five years.
When the Federation of Korean Industries analyzed the data for the past five years, compared to 2017, the proportion of employed people in their 40s decreased by 1.3%.
Corona is also to blame, but I can't blame it, rather, I recovered a bit in 2021 and 22 years.
However, from 2017 to 20, the employment rate of those in their 40s, which has steadily declined over the past three years, has yet to fully recover.
The employment rate of people in their 40s in Korea is significantly lower than the OECD average when compared internationally.
International statistics have some time difference, so the statistics for 2021 are the latest.
As of 2021, it is ranked 31st out of 38 member states, at the bottom.
In particular, the decline in the employment rate for those in their 40s over the past five years from 2016 is one of the largest in the OECD.
The decline was the fifth largest after Colombia and Iceland.
<Anchor>
Why are you doing this?
<Reporter>
I can think of several factors.
First of all, everyone is watching with interest in youth employment.
Also, the government is making a lot of effort to somehow increase jobs for the elderly.
Indirect employment support is provided by giving incentives when young or old people are hired, and even policy jobs are created.
Things like part-time public jobs in government or municipalities.
Although it can never be said that the growing share of public jobs is a good state of the job market.
Anyway, the number of jobs has increased, and in fact, in this analysis, the increase in the employment rate of young people and the elderly, especially the elderly, seems to have had a considerable effect.
People in their 40s are an age where you have to figure it out on your own.
It is an age range that reflects the private job situation as it is, but the employment rate has been lowered like this.
<Anchor>
If so, the job situation in the private sector is very bad.
Can you see it like this?
<Reporter>
Yes.
First of all, you can think that quality full-time jobs, full-time jobs, and stable and solid jobs have decreased that much.
Over the past five years, the areas in which jobs in their 40s have decreased the most are wholesale and retail and manufacturing.
The manufacturing industry is usually seen as the sector that creates the most quality full-time jobs, but the fact that the number of jobs for those in their 40s has decreased significantly proves that the constitution of our manufacturing industry has weakened.
And although this survey did not separate and analyze it, there are usually many self-employed people in their 40s in the wholesale and retail business, lodging and food business.
Those in their 40s have disappeared in these fields, to the extent that it can be estimated that self-employed people in their 40s who hired even part-time workers, that is, created a little bit of employment for others, suffered that much.
It is also noteworthy that the male employment rate is lower than that of females.
In Korea, there are still about half of double-income families.
Men are more responsible for making a living and often find full-time jobs.
However, the lower male employment rate means that there is a problem with the quality of the job market.
On the other hand, there are also changes in the industrial structure.
It is good that futuristic industries such as IT and bio have emerged in the past five years.
However, it is a bit difficult for many people in their 40s to get involved now.
It is an area where more jobs are created in 2030, and these new industries should continue to develop, but it seems difficult to have a significant positive impact on the employment rate of those in their 40s.
<anchor>
I think it's a very important thing.
If we usually do the unemployment rate, we can see the overall unemployment and the overall job market status, the numbers.
However, it seems to be an important indicator to see how many real good jobs in the job market are hidden behind that number.
But it's a bit unfortunate that there aren't that many, especially since people in their 40s are the head of household.
Isn't that more of a problem?
[Reporter]
That's a big problem.
People in their 40s are the age to be most active.
And it's the most.
When you lose your job in your 40s, it takes a toll on your family.
A vicious cycle ensues in which children grow up unstable.
Fundamentally, the job situation for those in their 40s will improve only when our economic situation improves.
The FKI researchers who published this analysis this time suggest that the government should provide indirect support to help people in their 40s keep more jobs through deregulation and tax benefits for companies.
That part is important, but realistically, once dropped out of the labor market, it is most difficult for people in their 40s and 50s to get a job again, and the job culture with large age restrictions needs to change.
It seems that an environment that can re-enter the labor market should be created a little more, regardless of age, whether hiring or looking for a job.