ID :
59872
Sun, 05/10/2009 - 17:47
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/59872
The shortlink copeid
Gov't to create 250,000 temporary jobs to stimulate economy
SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government will offer 250,000 temporary
jobs to the underprivileged and unemployed people over the next six months as
part of its efforts to stabilize the employment sector amid the protracted
economic slowdown, officials said Sunday.
According to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the government
will this week start hiring a total of 250,000 people from low-income and
unemployed households nationwide for repairs and maintenance of public facilities
and other manual work.
The government plans to spend a total of 1.7 trillion won (US$1.36 billion) on
the employment creation project, dubbed "new hope labor."
Beneficiaries of the new project will include jobless adults with household
income less than 120 percent of the minimum cost of living, self-employed people
who recently closed or suspended business activities and female bread earners,
said the officials.
If employed, they will earn 830,000 won a month for working 40 hours a week for
six months. Up to half of the compensation will be paid in gift certificates
which can be used in traditional neighborhood markets under a government bid to
help stimulate local consumption.
The move comes as the parliament recently approved a 28.4 trillion won extra
budget to create jobs, boost consumption and ease economic downturn.
On May 4, Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun reaffirmed his commitment to
supporting jobless people and the low-income population amid the ongoing economic
crisis, saying, "We need to strengthen social networks to help those who are out
of work and low-income people through extra spending plans."
South Korea's jobless rate rose to 4 percent in March with the number of
unemployed totaling 952,000, the highest since February 2006. Yoon forecast the
number had exceeded 1 million in April. The government will announce April
employment figures this week.
Buffeted by a protracted global downturn, South Korea's economy, Asia's
fourth-largest, is feared to contract 2.4 percent this year, the first minus
growth since the 1997-98 financial meltdown, according to the latest prediction
by the central bank.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)
jobs to the underprivileged and unemployed people over the next six months as
part of its efforts to stabilize the employment sector amid the protracted
economic slowdown, officials said Sunday.
According to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the government
will this week start hiring a total of 250,000 people from low-income and
unemployed households nationwide for repairs and maintenance of public facilities
and other manual work.
The government plans to spend a total of 1.7 trillion won (US$1.36 billion) on
the employment creation project, dubbed "new hope labor."
Beneficiaries of the new project will include jobless adults with household
income less than 120 percent of the minimum cost of living, self-employed people
who recently closed or suspended business activities and female bread earners,
said the officials.
If employed, they will earn 830,000 won a month for working 40 hours a week for
six months. Up to half of the compensation will be paid in gift certificates
which can be used in traditional neighborhood markets under a government bid to
help stimulate local consumption.
The move comes as the parliament recently approved a 28.4 trillion won extra
budget to create jobs, boost consumption and ease economic downturn.
On May 4, Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun reaffirmed his commitment to
supporting jobless people and the low-income population amid the ongoing economic
crisis, saying, "We need to strengthen social networks to help those who are out
of work and low-income people through extra spending plans."
South Korea's jobless rate rose to 4 percent in March with the number of
unemployed totaling 952,000, the highest since February 2006. Yoon forecast the
number had exceeded 1 million in April. The government will announce April
employment figures this week.
Buffeted by a protracted global downturn, South Korea's economy, Asia's
fourth-largest, is feared to contract 2.4 percent this year, the first minus
growth since the 1997-98 financial meltdown, according to the latest prediction
by the central bank.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)
