Nearly 30% of foreign laborers in Korea work over 50 hours per week

Nearly three out of 10 foreign employees in Korea worked 50 hours or longer per week last year, data showed Wednesday.

A total of 1.43 million foreigners aged 15 and older resided in Korea as of May 2023, and 64.5 percent of them have a job here, according to Statistics Korea.

Of the foreign workers, 56.5 percent, the largest share, were found to have worked 40 to 50 hours per week, and 28.6 percent said their weekly working hours came to 50.

Some 50.6 percent of all the foreign employees here earned 2 million won ($1,443) to 3 million won per month, and 35.8 percent of them had more than 3 million won of monthly income.

Six out of every 10 foreign income laborers here voiced satisfaction with their jobs in Korea.

About 12.3 percent of them said they want to change their jobs, and they cited low income as a primary reason.

Around 31.8 percent of the total foreigners in Korea remained economically inactive, and 3.7 percent were unemployed while seeking a job.

Of the total foreigners residing in Korea for more than three months, ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality accounted for 33 percent of the total, the largest share, and those from Vietnam took up 14.1 percent.

The proportion of foreigners from non-Asian countries came to 9.7 percent.

Some 386,000 individuals of the total foreigners were overseas Koreans, and 269,000 stayed here for employment in non-professional areas, the data showed. 

Source:https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/04/113_372882.html

Comprehension

How many foreign employees in Korea worked 50 hours or more per week last year?
What percentage of foreign workers in Korea worked 40 to 50 hours per week?
What was the most common monthly income range among foreign employees in Korea?
How many foreign workers expressed satisfaction with their jobs in Korea?
What was the primary reason cited by those who wanted to change their jobs?
What percentage of total foreigners in Korea were economically inactive?
Which nationality accounted for the largest share of foreigners residing in Korea for more than three months?
How many overseas Koreans were among the total foreigners in Korea?

Discussion

How important do you think it is for foreign workers to have a good work-life balance, considering the long working hours mentioned in the article?
What factors do you believe contribute to job satisfaction for foreign employees in a new country?
How can employers address the issue of low-income dissatisfaction among foreign workers?
Do you think language barriers play a role in the job satisfaction of foreign employees in Korea?
What challenges do you think foreign workers face when seeking job opportunities in a new country?
How can the government support economically inactive foreigners to find employment?
In what ways can companies create a more inclusive work environment for their foreign employees?
How do you think cultural differences impact the job experiences of foreign workers in Korea?

Vocabulary

Resided- lived in a particular place
Inactive- not engaging in economic or work-related activities
Unemployed- without a job and actively seeking employment
Ethnic- relating to a particular race or culture
Accounted for- made-up or constituted
Dissatisfaction- the feeling of being unhappy or unsatisfied
Professional- relating to a job that requires specialized training or education
Proportion- a part or share of a whole amount