The government has announced a plan to create 16,500 part-time jobs in the public sector from next year through 2017. Under the plan, the government will hire 4,000 part-time government officials and 3,500 teachers, and public organizations will hire 9,000 part-timers.
The plan is part of the government's effort to raise the country's employment rate to 70 percent by 2017, up from the 64 percent at present ― one of President Park Geun-hye's key election pledges. To attain the goal, 2.38 million jobs should be created through 2017, 930,000 of which need to be part-time positions, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
It's undeniable that Korea has to increase the number of its part-time jobs, given the rationale to increase jobs by diversifying types of labor. The proportion of part-timers in Korea stands at 13.5 percent, compared with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's average of 16.5 percent. European countries like Germany and the Netherlands succeeded in raising their employment rates to nearly 75 percent by expanding their part-time job opportunities.
True, increasing the number of part-time jobs carries great significance in that it will help enhance our labor flexibility. Moreover, it will let the nation brace for the anticipated manpower shortage brought on by the rapid growth of its elderly population.
But there are fundamental questions about the relatively new labor policy.
First of all, we wonder if there is enough demand for part-timers. And there is fear that our society could be forced to deal with a number of aftereffects arising from the government's forcible expansion of temporary positions.
A realistic problem is that taxpayers will have to shoulder huge pension payments for the newly recruited part-time civil servants at a time when trillions of won is already drawn from national coffers every year to make up for the shortage of pension payments for existing government officials.
Ironically enough, the part-timer plan will deprive young people of employment opportunities as it is primarily designed for stay-at-moms and retirees. Given that creating ''quality'' part-time jobs ― which ensure the same levels of treatment and employment as full-time positions ― is easier said than done, the plan may result in the public sector producing bad non-regular positions.
As far as part-time jobs are concerned, the most important thing is encouraging businesses to create more than 900,000 good part-time jobs over the next four years. In that regard, it's encouraging that Samsung Group and other leading conglomerates have been active in expanding the job market for women and senior citizens.
What's clear is that the government's part-timer plan ought to help businesses improve productivity and rationalize management if it is to be sustainable and successful.
The plan is part of the government's effort to raise the country's employment rate to 70 percent by 2017, up from the 64 percent at present ― one of President Park Geun-hye's key election pledges. To attain the goal, 2.38 million jobs should be created through 2017, 930,000 of which need to be part-time positions, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
It's undeniable that Korea has to increase the number of its part-time jobs, given the rationale to increase jobs by diversifying types of labor. The proportion of part-timers in Korea stands at 13.5 percent, compared with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's average of 16.5 percent. European countries like Germany and the Netherlands succeeded in raising their employment rates to nearly 75 percent by expanding their part-time job opportunities.
True, increasing the number of part-time jobs carries great significance in that it will help enhance our labor flexibility. Moreover, it will let the nation brace for the anticipated manpower shortage brought on by the rapid growth of its elderly population.
But there are fundamental questions about the relatively new labor policy.
First of all, we wonder if there is enough demand for part-timers. And there is fear that our society could be forced to deal with a number of aftereffects arising from the government's forcible expansion of temporary positions.
A realistic problem is that taxpayers will have to shoulder huge pension payments for the newly recruited part-time civil servants at a time when trillions of won is already drawn from national coffers every year to make up for the shortage of pension payments for existing government officials.
Ironically enough, the part-timer plan will deprive young people of employment opportunities as it is primarily designed for stay-at-moms and retirees. Given that creating ''quality'' part-time jobs ― which ensure the same levels of treatment and employment as full-time positions ― is easier said than done, the plan may result in the public sector producing bad non-regular positions.
As far as part-time jobs are concerned, the most important thing is encouraging businesses to create more than 900,000 good part-time jobs over the next four years. In that regard, it's encouraging that Samsung Group and other leading conglomerates have been active in expanding the job market for women and senior citizens.
What's clear is that the government's part-timer plan ought to help businesses improve productivity and rationalize management if it is to be sustainable and successful.
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