Labor ministry journal calls for ecosystem shift to fight regional decline

Regional employment policies must evolve from simple job creation to building sustainable local labor market ecosystems to overcome the crisis of rural extinction, the labor ministry said.

The Korea Employment Information Service announced the release of the summer issue of its quarterly journal, "Regional Industry and Employment," co-published with the Korean Society of Regional Employment. The issue diagnoses local disappearance as a complex problem driven by youth outflow, weakening industrial bases and deteriorating living conditions rather than population decline alone.

Researchers argue that policy success should be measured by resident settlement and social capital formation instead of quantitative metrics like employment rates. Kim Tae-hwan, a research fellow at the service, proposed shifting focus from short-term job projects to strengthening skill ecosystems centered on specific occupations, emphasizing the need for a joint performance management system at the regional level.

Ryu Jang-soo, a professor, analyzed youth migration patterns by distinguishing between initial outflow for university education and secondary outflow for employment. He recommended expanding scholarship support and linking public institution hiring with local university graduates to encourage settlement.

Hwang Jae-hee, a professor, highlighted the role of local creators in bridging the gap between production increases and population retention. She noted that diverse types of creators help circulate added value within the region.

The journal also examined workforce challenges in Chungbuk's pharmaceutical sector and the petrochemical industries of Yeosu and Ulsan, where young workers frequently leave for metropolitan areas due to limited career development opportunities and inadequate housing or cultural infrastructure.

"The issue sheds light on the roles and tasks regional employment policies must undertake to solve the problem of local disappearance," said Lee Chang-su, head of the Korea Employment Information Service.