President says job creation key to overcoming economic crisis

By Byun Duk-kun

SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak called Thursday for all-out efforts to create more jobs despite the worldwide economic downturn, saying that keeping companies rolling and people employed is the fastest way out of the ongoing crisis.

"The government's goal this year is to create jobs because many people talk about
social welfare, but the best welfare the government can provide is a job," the
president said at a special presidential council meeting on the economic crisis.
The council announced it will spend 4.9 trillion won (US$3.54 billion) on job
creation.
A government tally Wednesday said South Korea's jobless rate jumped to 3.9
percent last month, meaning nearly 1 million people are now out of work, the
largest number since March 2005. The figures were released shortly after the
country's largest business and labor groups agreed on what the president earlier
called "historic, unprecedented measures" to save jobs, including wage cuts and
job sharing.
"The largest goal of the supplementary budget is first to create jobs and second
to create jobs," Lee stressed, referring to a 30-trillion-won extra budget the
government is expected to request the National Assembly to approve sometime soon.
Lee said newly created jobs must first go to those who are the sole income source
for the household, emphasizing that work gives people confidence, building the
basis for economic recovery.
"So I ask all the ministers, heads of district offices and every other government
official to do their utmost to create even a single additional job," the
president said.