Foreign worker count surpasses 900,000 for the first time

The number of foreigners working in Korea has surpassed 900,000 for the first time. According to the 2023 Immigrant Status and Employment Survey Results released by Statistics Korea on Monday, the count of foreign workers as of May this year reached 923,000. This marked an increase of 80,000 from the previous year, breaking the 900,000 milestone. This figure accounts for 3.2% of the total number of employed individuals in Korea. Additionally, the number of foreigners aged 15 or older who stayed in Korea for more than 91 days reached 1.43 million, the highest since statistics were initiated in 2012. In comparison to the previous year, this represents a substantial increase of 129,000 (9.9%), marking the most significant growth to date.

This surge in the number of foreigners working in Korea can be attributed to the resurgence of domestic employment and study-abroad activities, which had previously slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the count of non-professional workers (E-9) engaged in sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, and fishing has risen by 60,000 compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 269,000. Additionally, the population of international students has reached 188,000, reflecting an increase of 25,000 from the previous year.

A notable 50.2% of foreign workers were found to be receiving wages below the range of 2 to 3 million won. At 35.8%, the second-largest proportion was represented by those earning more than 3 million won. However, this category saw the most substantial increase compared to the previous year, with a significant rise of 9.2 percentage points. Among non-professional employed foreigners, the primary reason cited for leaving their previous job was 'low wages,' accounting for 28.9%. This was followed by responses indicating that the work was either 'difficult or dangerous,' constituting 19.4% of the reasons provided.


1am@donga.com