As of July 2023, the number of foreign workers in Korea under the Employment Permit System reached a record high of 287,000, with 80% concentrated in the manufacturing industry. Despite labor shortages in some sectors such as the service industry, the rate of employment permit applications and issuances is below average. In the construction industry, applications have decreased due to a slump, indicating that the mismatch problem between industries persists. The government expanded the quota for the Employment Permit System after COVID-19 but recently reduced it again amid the economic slowdown. Although overall employment applications have decreased, the industry imbalance has intensified, leading to calls for an urgent establishment of a customized manpower supply and demand system.
