Public-sector hiring ceiling increases 1.6%

The maximum number of workers the public sector can employ has increased over the past five years despite a government drive to enhance its business by slimming down its workforce, the finance ministry said Friday.

As of June this year, 288 public companies and agencies were allowed to employ a total maximum of 253,411 regular workers, up 1.6 percent from 249,321 in late 2007, according to the ministry.

The increase comes despite the current government's drive to streamline management and enhance business efficiency in the public sector, which started in early 2008.

The government earlier said it will lower the maximum number of employees the public sector can hire by about 22,000 and also remove excess employees above that number within three years.

The government explained the hike came mostly from a growing demand for workers in businesses related to nuclear power plants, natural resources development and other new projects under way in the public sector.

Along with the hike in regular worker payrolls, the maximum number of irregular workers the public sector can employ also spiked. In 2007, the number stood at 35,192 but it surged to 46,676 as of June this year, the ministry said. (Yonhap)