Korea is facing a daunting challenge: a rapidly declining birth rate. The country’s total fertility rate of 0.7 is one of the lowest in the world, less than half of the OECD average of 1.59. This trend is particularly evident in major cities such as Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, where the fertility rate is below 0.8. Experts argue that piecemeal and short-term policies are not enough to address this complex issue and that a comprehensive and long-term approach is needed.
One promising strategy is to promote job programs tailored to local characteristics in order to create stable and high-quality employment opportunities. Busan City recently launched the 2023 Regional Specialized Job Project contest, which aims to do just that. The contest focuses on education and training, enterprise support, and job creation, and is set to help solve local job challenges by discovering and promoting manpower training and employment projects.
Similar programs have been launched in other cities and regions with positive results. San Francisco’s TechSF program partners with community organizations and the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development to provide tech job training to low-income residents. Chicago’s Growing Home program teaches unemployed and formerly incarcerated individuals how to farm in urban environments to help them gain job skills and secure long-term employment. New York City’s NYC Hospitality Alliance Training and Education Program provides hospitality industry workers with the skills they need to advance in their careers.
However, experts suggest that these programs, while providing short-term employment with a few months of training, are not actually long-term job improvement programs. To address this issue, Busan City and other local governments should consider incorporating education and training for in-demand skills that can lead to long-term employment opportunities. Offering training programs for skills such as data analysis, coding, and artificial intelligence can prepare job seekers for future job market demands.
Another key factor in promoting fertility rates is supporting young people’s independence and improving their quality of life. Marriage and childbearing are increasingly seen as a choice rather than an absolute norm, and practical support measures are needed to help young people navigate the challenges of adulthood. This includes addressing employment insecurity, housing burden, childbirth, and childcare burden, intensified education competition, and difficulties in work-life harmony, which are key factors in low birth rates.
To this end, the government can provide support measures such as subsidies, tax breaks, and financing options for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to hire and train local workers. Focusing on green jobs, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation, can also provide long-term employment opportunities while contributing to sustainable development.
Thus, promoting job programs tailored to local characteristics and supporting young people’s independence and quality of life are crucial steps toward addressing the low birth rate crisis in South Korea. By incorporating these strategies, Busan City and other local governments can help job seekers obtain stable jobs in the region, and companies can find the desired workforce in the area, while also contributing to the country’s long-term economic and social development.
