South Korea Public Institutions Set Record 28,000 New Hires for 2026

Updated 2026-01-27 05:30:01+00:00 (17 articles)

Hiring Targets Announced at Seoul Job Fair The Ministry of Economy and Finance disclosed that state‑run and state‑funded bodies will recruit roughly 28,000 employees in 2026, a rise of about 4,000 from the previous year and the highest level since 2020 [1]. The announcement occurred during a job‑fair event in Seoul, where officials directly addressed jobseekers [1]. This recruitment drive aims to broaden the public sector workforce amid a broader employment strategy [1].

Youth Internship Slots Expanded to 24,000 Internship positions designed as pipelines to permanent jobs total 24,000, up 3,000 compared with 2025 [1]. The increase reflects a targeted effort to create early‑career opportunities for young people [1]. Interns are expected to transition into full‑time roles within public institutions, supporting the government’s youth‑employment agenda [1].

Hiring Surge Represents Six‑Year Peak for State Bodies The 28,000‑person hiring plan marks the largest public‑sector recruitment effort in six years [1]. It forms part of a broader strategy to expand job prospects for youth and stimulate economic activity [1]. The finance ministry highlighted the surge as a response to persistent youth‑unemployment concerns [1].

Government Frames Youth Employment as Economic Engine Finance Minister Koo Yun‑cheol emphasized that youth employment is “not just an employment issue but a growth engine that will carry the country’s future” [1]. The minister’s remarks were delivered at the same Seoul job fair, underscoring the policy’s political priority [1]. The statement links the hiring push directly to national economic growth objectives [1].

Sources (1 articles)

[1]
Yonhap: South Korea Public Institutions Target 28,000 New Hires in 2026 – Details the 28,000 hiring goal, 24,000 internship expansion, six‑year peak, and the finance minister’s framing of youth jobs as a growth engine .
2026-01-27 05:30:01+00:00

Timeline

1990s – early 2000s – Japan experiences the “employment ice age,” a prolonged period of weak growth that later serves as a cautionary reference for South Korea’s own youth labor challenges. [3]

2010 – 2024 – South Korea records a net outflow of AI professionals every year, reaching about 11,000 abroad in 2024, while AI workers earn only a 6 % wage premium, far below peers in the United States, Canada and Europe. [17]

2020 – Public institutions’ hiring hits a six‑year peak, establishing a benchmark that the 2026 recruitment target of 28,000 will later surpass. [1]

2022 – A post‑pandemic rebound adds 816,000 jobs, the largest annual gain since the pandemic, highlighting a temporary surge before a slowdown. [7]

2023 – Only 36 % of workers aged 19‑34 report satisfaction with working conditions and 27.7 % are satisfied with wages; the suicide rate for this group rises to 24.4 per 100,000, and just 27.7 % believe personal effort can achieve upward mobility. [11]

2024 – Health and social‑welfare services employ a record 3.18 million people, offsetting losses in construction (‑125,000) and manufacturing (‑73,000); workers aged 60 + gain 345,000 jobs, the largest increase among age groups. [5]

2025 (Jan‑Mar) – Youth employment rate falls to 60.2 %, the first year‑on‑year decline since 2020, with 3.44 million people in their 20s employed, down 170,000 from the prior year. [4]

2025 (mid‑year) – The share of “resting” youths (not employed, studying or seeking work) climbs to 22.3 %; about 450,000 young adults explicitly say they do not want to work, reflecting AI‑driven market shifts and slower growth. [2]

Nov 2025 – South Korea adds 225,000 jobs, but youth employment drops for the 19th consecutive month, with the youth employment rate sinking to 44.3 % and a loss of 177,000 jobs among 15‑29‑year‑olds. [12][13][14][15]

Dec 2025 – December records a net gain of 168,000 jobs, the smallest monthly increase since August 2025, while unemployment‑benefit payments fall below 1 trillion won for the first time since January, signaling easing labor‑market strain. [8][16]

Dec 23 2025 – A survey finds a record 81.2 % of North Korean defectors satisfied with life in South Korea; their employment rate rises to 61.3 % and jobless rate drops to 5.4 %, narrowing gaps with native South Koreans. [10]

Jan 13 2026 – Official statistics confirm total employment reaches 28.77 million, up 193,000 jobs year‑on‑year, while construction, farming and manufacturing continue to lose jobs; older workers drive the overall gain. [6][7][9]

Jan 18 2026 – Government data reveal the youth employment rate has fallen to 60.2 % in 2025, the first decline in five years, and note limited job mobility as large‑firm positions rise and same‑worker tenure climbs to 84.4 %. [4]

Jan 19 2026 – The Bank of Korea releases a youth‑economic report showing that a one‑year unemployment spell cuts the five‑year regular‑job probability to 66.1 % and each extra jobless year depresses real wages by 6.7 %; rising rents push 11.5 % of young adults into sub‑standard housing. BOK official Lee Jae‑ho calls for labor‑market reforms and more small homes. [3]

Jan 20 2026 – A BOK analysis highlights that 22.3 % of 20‑34‑year‑olds are “resting” in 2025, attributing the rise to AI‑driven labor‑market changes, employer preference for experience, and sluggish growth; Yoon Jin‑young urges stronger incentives and policy reforms to re‑engage young workers. [2]

Jan 27 2026 – At a Seoul job fair, Finance Minister Koo Yun‑cheol announces a target of hiring 28,000 public‑institution staff and 24,000 youth interns in 2026, stating, “Youth employment is not just an employment issue but a growth engine that will carry the country’s future and the foundation of hope.” [1]