By Kang Seung-woo
Amid rising youth unemployment, more young adults are applying for street cleaner jobs, which used to be shunned by young people.
According to the Incheon Metropolitan Government, Tuesday, its Seo-gu Office recruited five street cleaners last September from 114 applicants, with those in their 20s and 30s accounting for 49.1 percent (56 applicants).
The Yeonsu-gu Office in the city also received 39 applications for two positions and 25 of those ― or 64.1 percent ― were in their 20s and 30s, while the Namdong-gu Office had 110 applicants for 16 jobs, 46 of whom belonged to the same age group, in October, and eight of the total applicants were women.
Local governments attribute the growing interest in the job to a change in the perception of street cleaners, as well as the high unemployment rate among young adults.
According to the Korea Economic Research Institute, the number of unemployed youth aged between 15 and 29 grew by 28.3 percent over the decade from 2008 to 2018.
In addition, street sweepers' high salaries also draw many applicants.
The starting annual salary for the job is about 45 million won ($38,900) to 50 million won in Namdong-gu when including allowance for overtime and holiday work and other benefits, and the retirement age for the job is 60. Plus, children of workers' educational expenses are covered when they enter high school.
Amid rising youth unemployment, more young adults are applying for street cleaner jobs, which used to be shunned by young people.
According to the Incheon Metropolitan Government, Tuesday, its Seo-gu Office recruited five street cleaners last September from 114 applicants, with those in their 20s and 30s accounting for 49.1 percent (56 applicants).
The Yeonsu-gu Office in the city also received 39 applications for two positions and 25 of those ― or 64.1 percent ― were in their 20s and 30s, while the Namdong-gu Office had 110 applicants for 16 jobs, 46 of whom belonged to the same age group, in October, and eight of the total applicants were women.
Local governments attribute the growing interest in the job to a change in the perception of street cleaners, as well as the high unemployment rate among young adults.
According to the Korea Economic Research Institute, the number of unemployed youth aged between 15 and 29 grew by 28.3 percent over the decade from 2008 to 2018.
In addition, street sweepers' high salaries also draw many applicants.
The starting annual salary for the job is about 45 million won ($38,900) to 50 million won in Namdong-gu when including allowance for overtime and holiday work and other benefits, and the retirement age for the job is 60. Plus, children of workers' educational expenses are covered when they enter high school.
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