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Number of foreign workers with nonprofessional employment visas drop 21%

Published: 22 Jun. 2025, 13:07 Updated: 22 Jun. 2025, 16:32

Cambodian workers arriving on E-9 visas line up to wait for transportation at Incheon International Airport on the morning of May 27. [NEWS1]

The number of foreign workers arriving in Korea with nonprofessional employment visas (E-9) dropped 21 percent this year, according to government data Sunday, apparently hit by the nation's sluggish economic growth.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of foreign workers arriving here with E-9 visas under the Employment Permit System stood at 28,520 as of June 10, down 20.9 percent from the same period last year.

In particular, the number of foreign workers with E-9 visas employed in the manufacturing sector slipped 25.8 percent on year to 21,443, the data showed.

A ministry official attributed weaker economic growth to the "decline in demand for foreign work force."

The Bank of Korea has cut its outlook for Korea's economic growth this year to 0.8 percent, citing sagging consumption and slowing export growth amid uncertainty stemming from Washington's tariff measures.

Yonhap