Korea’s employment shows mixed impact from eased Covid rules

Crowded Incheon International Airport [Photo by Han Joo-hyung]

Eased social distancing rules from the second half of last year as the pandemic waned had mixed impacts on different sectors in the South Korea’s job market.

Number of people employed in travel agencies and other travel assistance services stood at 40,000 in the second half of last year, according to employment data of Statistics Korea by sector on Monday. It is an increase of about 8,000, or 25 percent, from 32,000 in the second half of 2021. The number of people employed in the travel sector, which had been steadily declining or stagnant since the outbreak in 2020, has made a turnaround in about two years.

The number of employment in the living, accommodation facilities management business also increased by 38,000, or 32.2 percent, to 157,000 from 119,000 a year earlier. Employment in amusement parks and other entertainment service businesses and air passenger transportation sector also increased by 3.5 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively.

Those employed in the food service sector also showed signs of recovery as the mask mandate was lifted and people increasingly went outdoors. As many as 479,000 people were employed in pubs and non-alcoholic drink shops in the second half of last year, an increase of 71,000, or 17.4 percent, from the second half of 2021. The number of people employed in the restaurant business also increased 2.8 percent from a year ago to 1.61 million.

Art-related sectors, such as film and exhibitions, also benefited from the return to normal life post the pandemic. A total of 98,000 people were employed in production and distribution of film, video and broadcasting programs in the second half of last year, up 21,000, or 27.8 percent, from the year earlier. The number of people employed in the creative art service sector was also up 17.4 percent from the previous year to 116,000.

Some sectors, on the other hand, were affected by the sharp decline in Covid cases.

The number of employment at non-store retailers, which had increased amid a rise in non-face-to-face services, recorded 361,000 in the second half of last year, down 12,000, or 3.2 percent, from the same period last year.

The number of people employed in the cardboard, paper box and paper container manufacturing business, which had increased on growing demand for package delivery, also fell by 1,000, or 2.4 percent, in the second half of last year from a year ago.

Employment in the waste collection and transportation sector declined by 11,000, or 18.8 percent, during the same period and that in the waste treatment business by 2,000, or 4.7 percent.

The number of people employed in the manufacturing of medical supplies and other medical products that surged due to the pandemic also dropped in the second half of last year by 2,000 or 11.5 percent from a year ago to 12,000.