Government: "Provide quality jobs to people willing and able to work"

Joint Government Task Force on Employment Meeting

The government is preparing measures to provide quality jobs and training opportunities to people who are willing and able to work. It also plans to keep monitoring employment conditions in vulnerable sectors and struggling industries while identifying policy tasks for each sector.

On Oct. 8, relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, held a meeting of the joint government task force on employment at the Government Complex Sejong, chaired by First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy Kwon Daeyoung and Vice Minister of Employment and Labor Kwon Changjun. They discussed and reviewed key employment issues, one of the three core social policy areas.

Kwon Daeyoung, First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy, answers lawmakers' questions during a parliamentary audit of the ministry at the National Assembly on Oct. 6, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

The government said employment has recently shown signs of improvement, with the number of employed people posting increasingly larger gains for three consecutive months. After falling by 40,000 in May, the number of employed people rose by 63,000 in June, 108,000 in July and 184,000 in August.

However, the government said uncertainty related to the war in the Middle East continues, and the base effect of a 312,000 increase in employment in September last year could constrain future employment growth. It also assessed that difficulties persist in vulnerable sectors and struggling industries, particularly among young people and in manufacturing and construction.

The government decided to focus its policy efforts on spreading the benefits of recent economic growth evenly across the economy through job creation. It plans to develop measures to provide quality jobs and training opportunities to people who are willing and able to work, while continuing to monitor conditions in vulnerable sectors and struggling industries and identifying policy tasks for each sector.

Kwon Changjun, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, answers lawmakers' questions at a plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and결산 on Nov. 11, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The government will review the implementation and preparation of the "Youth New Deal Initiative," announced in April, and the "Youth Employment Recovery Plan," announced in August, and continue follow-up measures to improve employment conditions. The Youth New Deal Initiative centers on providing young people with a starting point for taking a leap forward, gaining experience and recovering. The government plans to support about 100,000 young people through the initiative. The Youth Employment Recovery Plan aims to increase the youth employment rate and reduce the number of young people who are "taking a break." It provides close support throughout the entire youth employment cycle, from preparing for a job and entering the workforce to career development.

"We will thoroughly review the implementation and preparation of major employment measures, including the existing Youth New Deal Initiative and Youth Employment Recovery Plan, and mobilize the capabilities of all ministries to improve employment conditions in ways people can feel," said First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy Kwon Daeyoung. Vice Minister of Employment and Labor Kwon Changjun said, "Jobs are the most important livelihood issue. We will review the government's employment programs and work with relevant ministries to identify and develop specific tasks so that support can provide practical help where it is needed."

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