Prime Minister pledges to create jobs through labor reform

SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) — Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday pledged the government would help create jobs by pushing for labor reforms to make the labor market more flexible.

Han also painted a bleak picture for the labor market this year, but said the government would no longer create tax-funded jobs, an apparent criticism of the previous administration for creating temporary government jobs for young people. support employment statistics.

“The magnitude of the increase in the number of employed people is expected to decline significantly this year, and the employment outlook is not so bright,” Han said at a job fair. “But there is a limit to using taxpayers’ money to create jobs. This is not the hope that young people want and it cannot guarantee sustainable growth.

“Through the efficiency and flexibility of the labor market, we will innovate the industrial structure and create new engines of growth,” Han said.

He said the government would work to root out irregularities and corruption in the labor market.

In addition, the government will remove outdated regulations that hamper investment and new businesses, the prime minister said.