ID :
121668
Wed, 05/12/2010 - 15:46
Auther :

Lee calls for flexible labor market


SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Wednesday South Korea
needs to diversify employment opportunities and make its labor market more
resilient.
Presiding over a weekly emergency economy policy meeting, Lee said that despite
clear signs of economic recovery and increased employment, the government should
do its best to maintain momentum, according to his spokesman Park Sun-kyoo.
"(Boosting) employment is the government's most important policy this year," Lee
was quoted as saying. "In spite of an increase in overall employment, (jobs) in
the manufacturing field are continuing to decrease. Diversification in forms of
employment is needed."
He added that dividing employment simply into two types -- regular and
non-regular jobs -- is anachronistic.
"I think it is also time to prudently consider the flexibility of the labor
market," Lee said.
The president's comments followed a report that said the jobless rate in Asia's
fourth-largest economy dropped to 3.8 percent last month from 4.1 percent a month
earlier. A total of 401,000 jobs were added in April alone, according to
Statistics Korea.
Other major economic indicators have pointed to recovery, including the nation's
7.8 percent economic growth in the first quarter of this year compared to the
same period last year.
"It is especially very positive news that the operating rates of small- and
medium-sized companies are rising and employment in the civilian sector is
increasing," Lee said. "Let's do our best so that the current recovery phase
would continue more strongly."
The Bank of Korea froze its key interest rate Wednesday at a record low of 2
percent for the 15th straight month.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)

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