Young South Koreans preparing for employment spend an average of 580,000 won ($400) a month on their job search, a survey showed, and about seven in 10 said the costs weigh on their finances. The support they most want is help paying for certification exams and language tests.
The Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF) said on the 18th that a survey of 1,000 job seekers aged 19 to 34 nationwide, conducted by polling firm Mono Research, found average monthly spending of about 580,000 won over the previous three months.
The survey covered young adults engaged in job-hunting activities, including submitting applications, attending interviews, sitting written tests, obtaining certifications and taking language exams.
Spending tended to rise the longer the search dragged on. Those who had been looking for work for three years or more spent the most, about 800,000 won a month. Job seekers in their first six months spent 560,000 won, while those searching for six months to a year spent 520,000 won.
By age, those between 30 and 34 spent the most at 600,000 won a month. Spending was 580,000 won for those aged 25 to 29 and 560,000 won for those aged 19 to 24, edging higher with age.
Costs also varied by field of study. Spending was highest among those in education, pharmacy and health fields at 740,000 won a month, followed by arts and physical education at 690,000 won. Natural sciences and engineering majors spent 550,000 won, and humanities and social sciences majors 520,000 won.
The size of the employer being targeted made a difference as well. Those aiming for jobs at large companies spent an average of 700,000 won a month, more than applicants to mid-sized firms at 630,000 won and small and medium-sized firms at 590,000 won.
In all, 69.3% said the cost of preparing for employment was a burden, while just 7.3% said it was not, underscoring the financial strain on young job seekers.
The heaviest cost was fees for certification and language exams, cited by 30.7%. Education expenses followed at 22.6%, and spending on textbooks and study materials at 16.1%. Transportation costs at 12.4% and fees for cafes and study cafes at 7.3% were also among the main outlays.
Most respondents, 70.8%, live with their parents, while 29.2% live separately.
Asked how they fund their job search, 32.8% pointed to financial support from parents or family, the largest share. Another 29.5% rely on earnings from part-time work, and 27.3% draw on savings. Only 7.9% use subsidies from the central or local governments.
The policy young adults most wanted was help with certification and language exam fees, cited by 25.9%. Housing support such as monthly rent subsidies followed at 16.7%, and vouchers for job preparation at 16.1%, while 11.4% called for transportation subsidies.
Lee Sang-ho, head of the economic affairs division at the Korea Enterprises Federation, said many job seekers feel the financial strain of preparing for employment as the youth job market remains difficult. "There is a need to strengthen support for language and certification exam fees and course tuition, so that the financial burden on low-income young people can be eased," he said.