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Foreign worker postings vanishing as job market doldrums continue

Published: 14 Jan. 2026, 19:08 Updated: 16 Jan. 2026, 12:27

Foreign workers head to their night shifts in the multicultural food market district of Danwon District, Ansan, Gyeonggi, in this undated file photo. [JOONGANG ILBO]

As Korea’s job market downturn continues, even low-wage positions typically filled by foreign workers are disappearing.

According to employment administration data released by the government on Wednesday, the number of foreign workers allowed to enter Korea in 2025 under the E-9 visa was set at 61,184 — a 21.6 percent drop from the 70,825 allowed in 2024. Although last year’s overall quota was 130,000, only 47.1 percent of that figure actually entered the country.

The employment permit system allows small and medium-sized businesses that struggle to find domestic labor to hire low-skilled foreign workers.

Foreign workers in Korea are typically employed in low-paying, high-intensity jobs that local workers avoid, such as factory work, construction, agriculture, livestock farming and fisheries. But the sharp cut to this year’s quota indicates that sluggish domestic demand is now weighing on the overall labor market. The drop in production and construction volumes has also reduced the need for manpower.

By sector, manufacturing remains the largest employer of foreign workers, with 45,069 expected to enter in 2025. But this is still a 27.7 percent decline from the 62,303 workers brought in for manufacturing in 2024.

The construction sector will see 1,162 foreign workers this year, down 21.3 percent from the previous year. Service jobs and fisheries also saw drops of 23.1 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively. Only agriculture, livestock and forestry sectors saw gains, with agriculture and livestock hiring rising 19.2 percent to 8,794 and forestry increasing 185.3 percent to 97 workers.

The trend closely mirrors the broader slump in domestic employment, particularly in manufacturing and construction. According to a Ministry of Employment and Labor survey of business establishments, the number of job vacancies — defined as positions actively recruiting that can be filled within one month — stood at 144,000 in November 2025, down 14.2 percent from a year earlier.

The number of job openings has been continuously declining since February 2024. The number of manufacturing workers has declined for 26 consecutive months, while the construction sector has seen work force shrinkage for 18 straight months.

“Manufacturing and construction indicators remain weak, and the continued decrease in job vacancies appears to have impacted this year’s reduced intake under the employment permit system,” a Labor Ministry official said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM YEON-JOO [[email protected]]