By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter
The number of Koreans who are able to work but do not participate in economic activities either voluntarily or involuntarily has increased to an all-time high of 3 million amid the tight labor market.
According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) Thursday, the number of ``idle'' men and women who are voluntarily unemployed reached 1.63 million in February, up from 1.56 million a year earlier. The figure was the highest since the office began compiling data in 2003.
These people, categorized as ``taking a rest'' without any intention to work, are among the economically inactive. The economically inactive population refers to people over 15 who do not participate in economic activities because of housekeeping, childcare, old age, health problems or other reasons.
The number of college graduates and others studying or training to get jobs also reached an all-time high of 607,000 last month ― up 86,000 a year earlier ― reflecting the country's worsening job market. With 819,000 unemployed, the number of people who are capable of participating in economic activities but do not work totaled 3.05 million.
``These idle people have no plan to get a job. They want to stay home and do nothing, discouraged by the competitive job market and a shortage of decent jobs. They are just taking a rest,'' an NSO official said.
He said the majority are dependent on family members with regular incomes, adding that many prefer to remain unemployed rather than accept jobs that don't meet their expectations.
The number of men who gave up seeking jobs jumped by 31,000 to 1.34 million in February from a year ago, while that of women rose by 8,000 to 283,000.
The 607,000 individuals preparing for employment are classified as part of the economically inactive population because they are not directly engaged in job-hunting activities, according to the office. But in reality, they fall into the category of job seekers and should be regarded as jobless, pushing up the country's unemployment rate substantially.
Among people preparing for jobs, 240,000 have been taking classes at private institutes for the bar exam and other state-administered tests, and at vocational training centers, up 35,000 from the same month last year. The remaining 367,000 were studying at home, up 51,000.
``The number of university graduates preparing for employment has continued to increase over the years as more are willing to study longer to get decent work that offers higher salaries and greater job security. Also, many white-collar employees have quit work to study again to become lawyers, civil servants, doctors and other occupations with high social status,'' said Sohn Min-jung, a researcher at Samsung Economic Research Institute.
However, the number of such jobs has decreased or become harder to get because of intensifying competition among college graduates and workers, pushing up the number of people preparing for work, he said.
``Local manufacturers have generated fewer decent jobs as the economy has become a more capital and technology-centered one and companies have expanded operations overseas rather than here. Instead, a number of manual and low paying positions in the services sector have been created,'' Sohn said.