NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training)
NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training)
  • 미디어 한남
  • 승인 2018.11.06 16:09
  • 조회수 3897
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- Problem of youth unemployment rate -

 

NEET is short for ‘not in employment, education or training,’ which basically means unemployment. These days not only in Korea, but also around the world, youth unemployment has become a hot topic. After facing a foreign exchange crisis, growth without employment is a situation that is starting to hold which provides an uneasy environment for young people looking for a job.

 

In 2018, the rate of youth unemployment has reached the highest level – 9.9% – according to IMF. Since a high unemployment rate hinders the country's growth, the government has worked hard to increase the number of jobs, a policy that turned out to be successful. The reason why Korea still suffers from high unemployment has to do with a lack of job offers, the evading employment syndrome, and tight labor market. But there is an additional reason like the government's chaotic management. Let's find out what the government has done to address youth unemployment. Also, let's look at what other countries have done to help job seekers and what direction Korea should take.

 

Currently, youth unemployment is a big problem. It can lead to a rise in marriages and a decrease in job satisfaction. You may have heard the word 'Sam po generation' or 'N po generation' (meaning you give up three or more things in your life due to your unstable job situation). This is a problem directly connected with youth problems. So, what is the reason for unemployment to make the life of young people harder?

 

There are two reasons for youth unemployment. The first is the tight labor market. Most Korean companies' jobs are divided into permanent and temporary positions. Given that companies try to keep their workers, they prefer permanent workers who will work much longer than temporary workers. Since these companies keep their permanent workers, they don't recruit new employees, therefore the definite lack of job positions available. It results in a number of temporary workers who have unstable jobs much higher than permanent workers with more stable jobs. This trend increases job unemployment.

 

The second reason for youth unemployment is the so-called evading employment syndrome. It is also called voluntary unemployment, a phenomenon due to the lack of jobs for young people. Over 80% of young Koreans go to university. However, since they avoid taking simple service jobs or manual labor jobs, small and medium size companies suffer labor shortage. Young people avoid these kinds of jobs because of low salaries and poor welfare and social perspective associated with them. The evading employment syndrome can only increase youth unemployment and a preference for only looking at big companies for jobs.

 

To solve these unemployment problems, the government has allocated an enormous amount of money to job creation, but the result is meager so far. A survey by a job recruitment website revealed that, while 70% of the respondents were aware of the government plan for tackling youth unemployment, over 50% said they saw no impact on their conditions. This shows that the government needs to search deeper and analyze the chronic problem of Korea's industrial structure. Germany may point to one solution to solve youth unemployment through its apprentice system, which became the nation's foundation of the 'Employment revolution' that increased youth employment even during the global financial crisis. What about other countries? In England, there is a compulsory personalized job education for people who have not found a job for 6 months. In France, the government provides an opportunity for jobless people to participate in state-run schemes, train them while earning money. Many countries are engaged in similar training programs where unemployed people earn money, which can be invested in further education.

 

Then, what can young people do to address their unemployment problem apart from the government's programs? As mentioned earlier, while 80% of Korean youngsters enter university many of the 25-29 year olds with a higher education do not find a job they want. The jobs university graduates seek are mostly professional, public sector jobs, which are very stable. But since the supply of these jobs is limited and the number of people with high levels of education is growing, youth unemployment is getting worse.

 

Furthermore, young people these days think that entering university is a something other people expect them to do. But going to university does not always guarantee a job. People should focus on acquiring skills needed to get a job rather than seeking a university education.

 

Since youth unemployment not only affects individuals, but also hinders the country's growth and the labor market, it is important for the problems of the Sam po generation to be resolved quickly. To do so, job seekers and the government should support each another and through a systematic structure. As a university student, like most readers, I think this is the time to think clearly and make an effort toward addressing this important matter. I hope that readers perceive youth unemployment as a problem not to be tackled solely by the government, but also by all young people.


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