Older Koreans juggle gigs as number of senior 'N-jobbers' surges

Social Affairs

Published: 12 Jun. 2024, 18:38 Updated: 12 Jun. 2024, 19:33

Older Koreans juggle gigs as number of senior 'N-jobbers' surges

Choi Seoung-hee, a 66-year-old "N-jobber" from Dongdaemun District in eastern Seoul, recently looks at the phone she uses when working. N-jobbers refer to a person who holds an ″N″ number of jobs. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

A wave of senior job seekers is hitting the job market, with some older workers juggling multiple jobs and out-earning young professionals just starting their careers.

Though it has become increasingly common for younger people to hold several jobs, the trend has extended to more and more older people becoming "N-Jobbers" — people who hold an "N" number of jobs.

Choi Seoung-hee, a 66-year-old from Dongdaemun District in Seoul, is one such "N-jobber." After 33 years as a public educational official, she now works as an assistant teacher for training at a senior employment service center in Seoul. She is a “story mama,” sharing old stories at kindergartens, and a walking delivery person, delivering items from convenience stores and pharmacies on foot.

She says she can juggle multiple jobs because she does not have to stick to one specific job all day. Her earnings from these jobs are comparable to those of young office workers.

“Working has helped me overcome negative thoughts about my decreased income after retirement,” said Choi on Tuesday, expressing her commitment to keep working for financial and health benefits.

There has been a notable surge in the number of senior job seekers over 60, like Choi.

[SHIN JAE-MIN]

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and senior welfare service centers in 25 districts in the capital, 10,397 seniors registered as job seekers last year, surpassing 10,000 for the first time since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Of these seniors, 4,292 found jobs, a slight drop from 4,828 in 2022 due to the recession.

Among them, 601 were over 75, making up 14 percent, while 137 were over 80, accounting for 3.2 percent. Workers aged between 60 and 69 comprised more than half of the senior workforce.

The statistics demonstrate that relatively older individuals can find jobs fairly easily if they are willing.

Along with the surge in senior job seekers, gig workers — who can manage their time relatively freely and choose the jobs they want — are also on the rise, and this trend is leading to a surge in N-jobbers.

The mobile app Wooridongnae ("My Delivery") Delivery is where many senior workers find jobs, with some earning over 3 million won ($2,180) monthly. However, the jobs require tech-savviness and good health.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government warns that some delivery service businesses unfairly treat their senior workers, such as by taking a 40 percent commission.

Nonetheless, sanitation workers, apartment security guards, welfare facility workers and caregivers comprise most of the senior workforce – 30.9 percent, 20.6 percent, 9.1 percent, and 8.9 percent, respectively. Also, senior workers often opt for short-term jobs due to their vulnerability in the job market.

“While the number of senior job seekers is rising, the jobs are mainly in specific fields such as sanitation work,” a Seoul official said.

Many local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, plan to increase the number of walking delivery jobs amid the rise in senior gig workers. Seoul aims to expand the number of convenience store walking delivery jobs from 250 to 1,000.

“We will expand public sector jobs so that any healthy senior over 60 years old with no mobility issues can work,” said Jung Sang-hoon, head of Seoul’s Welfare Policy Office, adding that they intend to create an environment where seniors can work without being self-conscious.

BY LEE SOO-KI, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]