Chip-led growth, AI erode youth job quality: BOK

The Bank of Korea said Monday that semiconductor-driven growth, the spread of artificial intelligence and inflexible labor market institutions are weakening job quality for young people in Korea. Since 2023, more people aged 15 to 29 have entered temporary or daily work as hiring for regular positions remains sluggish. The bank said IT manufacturing generates relatively few regular jobs, while AI-exposed companies increasingly favor experienced hires. It called for coordinated industrial and labor-market changes, closer alignment between education and industry, and more flexible employment rules.

The BOK defines regular employment as the primary labor market and temporary and daily work as the secondary market for its analysis of workers aged 15 to 29.

The report said most regular hiring still takes place in non-IT manufacturing and services, despite IT manufacturing becoming a stronger driver of economic growth.

Generative AI adoption has accelerated since late 2022, and the report cited finance, insurance, and professional, scientific and technical services as industries highly exposed to AI.

Korea ranked 10th among 23 major economies on the OECD measure of protection against individual dismissal for regular workers.

The BOK said stronger employment safeguards generally coincide with lower youth employment rates.

Published Oct 27, 2026 7:00 am KST

People browse job listings at an employment welfare center operated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in Mapo District, Seoul, Oct. 19. Yonhap

Korea’s reliance on semiconductor-driven growth, the accelerating spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and inflexible labor market institutions are weakening the quality of jobs available to young people, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Monday.

As economic growth fails to generate enough stable employment opportunities, more young job seekers are accepting temporary or daily work instead of holding out for regular positions.

In its analysis of workers aged 15 to 29, the central bank classified regular employment as the primary labor market, and temporary and daily work as the secondary market. Since 2023, young people have shown a growing tendency to enter the latter, adjusting their expectations as hiring in the primary market remains sluggish.

The report linked this deterioration to a combination of changes in the industrial landscape, advances in AI and rigid employment arrangements.

One problem is the growing mismatch between the sectors powering the economy and those providing regular employment.

Information technology (IT) manufacturing has become a stronger driver of growth but generates relatively few regular jobs. Most hiring for such positions still takes place in non-IT manufacturing and services.

“This disconnect has prevented economic expansion from translating into increased demand for regular workers,” the central bank said. “The resulting pressure has been concentrated among young people entering the workforce, rather than spread evenly across age groups.”

Generative AI’s rapid adoption since late 2022 has added to those difficulties.

In industries highly exposed to AI, including finance, insurance and professional, scientific and technical services, companies increasingly favor experienced hires as demand for the basic and entry-level tasks traditionally assigned to younger staff declines.

The report also cited strong protections for incumbent employees as a potential barrier to new entrants.

Korea placed 10th among 23 major economies on the OECD’s measure of protection against individual dismissal for regular workers. Stronger employment safeguards generally coincide with lower youth employment rates, according to the BOK.

“Addressing these challenges requires coordinated changes to industrial policy and labor market structures,” the bank said. “Measures aimed solely at improving labor supply would be insufficient to resolve the underlying problems.”

It urged policymakers to help growth in IT manufacturing benefit related industries and the domestic economy, while bringing education and industry into closer alignment to meet the workforce needs of a chip-led economy and the AI era.

The BOK also recommended greater flexibility in employment rules to make it easier for young people to find work and move between jobs.

More young workers start in nonregular jobs, widening regular employment gap: study

New jobs held by people in 20s, 30s decrease to record low in Q1

Young people expect AI to replace desired jobs within 5 years amid hiring slump

Young workers hit hardest as AI automation slashes jobs in Korea

韩国央行周一表示，半导体产业的蓬勃发展、人工智能的普及以及僵化的劳动力市场制度正在削弱韩国年轻人的就业质量。自2023年以来，由于正规岗位招聘持续低迷，更多15至29岁的年轻人选择从事临时工或日工。该行指出，IT制造业提供的正规就业岗位相对较少，而人工智能应用型企业则越来越倾向于招聘经验丰富的员工。韩国央行呼吁协调产业和劳动力市场改革，加强教育与产业的衔接，并制定更加灵活的就业规则。

BOK 将正规就业定义为主要劳动力市场，将临时和日工定义为次要市场，以此来分析 15 至 29 岁劳动者的就业情况。

报告指出，尽管IT制造业已成为经济增长的更强劲动力，但大多数常规招聘仍然发生在非IT制造业和服务业。

自 2022 年底以来，生成式人工智能的采用速度加快，该报告指出，金融、保险以及专业、科学和技术服务等行业高度依赖人工智能。

在经合组织衡量正式员工免受解雇的保护程度的指标中，韩国在23个主要经济体中排名第10位。

韩国央行表示，更严格的就业保障措施通常会导致青年就业率下降。

发布于2026年10月27日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

10月19日，人们在首尔麻浦区一家由韩国雇佣劳动部运营的就业福利中心浏览招聘信息。（韩联社）

韩国银行（BOK）周一表示，韩国对半导体驱动型增长的依赖、人工智能（AI）的加速普及以及僵化的劳动力市场制度正在削弱年轻人可获得的就业质量。

由于经济增长未能创造足够的稳定就业机会，越来越多的年轻求职者选择接受临时或日工，而不是等待正式职位。

在对15至29岁劳动者的分析中，中央银行将正规就业归类为主要劳动力市场，将临时工和日工归类为次要市场。自2023年以来，随着主要劳动力市场招聘持续低迷，年轻人越来越倾向于进入次要市场，并调整了他们的就业预期。

该报告将这种恶化归因于产业格局的变化、人工智能的进步以及僵化的雇佣制度等多种因素。

一个问题是，推动经济发展的部门与提供常规就业的部门之间日益加剧的不匹配。

信息技术（IT）制造业已成为更强劲的增长动力，但创造的常规就业岗位相对较少。此类职位的大部分招聘仍然发生在非IT制造业和服务业。

“这种脱节阻碍了经济扩张转化为对普通劳动者需求的增加，”央行表示。“由此产生的压力集中在刚进入职场的年轻人身上，而不是均匀地分散到各个年龄段。”

自 2022 年底以来，生成式人工智能的快速普及加剧了这些困难。

在金融、保险以及专业、科学和技术服务等高度依赖人工智能的行业中，随着对传统上分配给年轻员工的基本和入门级任务的需求下降，公司越来越倾向于聘用有经验的员工。

该报告还指出，对现有员工的强力保护可能会成为新员工进入职场的潜在障碍。

在经合组织（OECD）衡量正式员工免遭解雇的保护力度方面，韩国在23个主要经济体中排名第十。韩国央行指出，更完善的就业保障措施通常与较低的青年失业率相关。

世界银行表示：“应对这些挑战需要对产业政策和劳动力市场结构进行协调调整。仅仅采取措施改善劳动力供给不足以解决根本问题。”

它敦促政策制定者帮助信息技术制造业的增长惠及相关产业和国内经济，同时使教育和产业更加紧密地结合起来，以满足芯片经济和人工智能时代的劳动力需求。

韩国央行还建议提高就业规则的灵活性，使年轻人更容易找到工作并在不同工作之间转换。

研究表明，更多年轻劳动者从非正式工作做起，导致非正式就业与非正式就业之间的差距扩大。

第一季度，20多岁和30多岁人群的新就业岗位数量降至历史新低。

年轻人预计，在招聘低迷的情况下，人工智能将在5年内取代他们理想的工作。

人工智能自动化导致韩国就业岗位锐减，年轻劳动者受到的冲击最大。