30% of cram school instructors lose jobs amid pandemic

Signs hanging at a private cram school in Seoul announce its temporary closure due to the coronavirus pandemic in this March 4 photo. / Korea Times file

By Lee Hyo-jin

Around 30 percent of cram school instructors have experienced unemployment at least once amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a labor civic group, Monday.

Workplace Gapjil 119, a civic organization consisting of labor experts and lawyers, disclosed the results of a survey conducted in November among 500 instructors at private academies, or hagwon, across the country.

It showed that 27 percent of the respondents had lost jobs over the last 10 months. Among the reasons for unemployment were unwanted layoffs, canceled or suspended classes and recommended resignations from employers.

The vast majority of unemployed tutors are not being supported with unemployment insurance, with only 4 percent having received unemployment benefits. Out of the 96 percent who did not receive them, 55 percent stated that they were not registered for the state employment insurance program.

Meanwhile, 78 percent of the respondents said they were forced to take a leave of absence as the cram schools had to close temporarily. Among them, 31 percent were paid with an allowance given during the temporarily closure, as stated in the Labor Standards Law, while the others were not because their academies were small ones with fewer than five employees, which are not subject to the allowance regulation.

“The survey shows that although cram school instructors fall into job categories hit hardest by the pandemic, they are being excluded from state insurance programs. Unemployment benefits and cash handouts designed to curb the economic hardships of citizens are available for them,” the civic group said in a statement.