Lee suggests flexible working hours to help create jobs

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Oct, 14 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that local
companies need to adopt a flexible working hour system to help in the
government's efforts to raise the nation's employment rate.
"When it comes to the job creation issue, a fundamental paradigm shift is
needed," Lee said while presiding over a government-civilian meeting on ways to
create jobs held at Bucheon University, west of Seoul.
In the session, the government unveiled the goal of creating 71,000 new jobs for
the nation's youth by 2012 mainly in the public sector. Around 7,200 people will
be employed in the energy, natural resources exploration, and research and
development fields, and the government will provide financial support to have
corporations hire 37,000 interns. The government also plans to promote youth
employment in security, firefighting and emergency aid sectors, and help college
graduates land jobs in foreign nations.
The president said that aside from such efforts, private companies should
consider employing more people through the adjustment of working hours.
Lee pointed out that the working hours in South Korea are longer than in other
member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a
club of the world's 30 richest nations. He said this was not "something to boast
about."
"As many people remain unemployed due to lack of jobs, we need to think about
whether it is right for one person to work for long hours," Lee said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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