Young Jobseekers Prioritize Pay and Work-Life Balance

Young jobseekers are chiefly interested in pay and work-life balance, a sweeping survey shows.

Statistics Korea polled some 2.34 million economically inactive people and found that 31.5 percent look first at working conditions, while 26.8 percent consider pay. These were the highest percentages since Statistics Korea began the survey in 2016. 

Some 22.9 percent look for compatibility with their personality or college major, while 18.8 percent consider job stability and the size of the company.

Until 2018, compatibility with personality or major was the chief consideration for 29.7 percent of respondents, but preferences changed starting in 2019 with more and more young Koreans placing the top priority on pay and working environments. 

Work-like balance is a growing concern for jobseekers worldwide, and Korea is if anything late to the party. Bestselling self-help books like "The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work" attest to the global trend. 

But the worsening economy has also persuaded many that it is a luxury to choose work based on compatibility at a time when jobs are scarce and they simply have to take anything that comes along.