[Graphic News] New hiring rate hits 33-year high

Korea’s monthly hiring rate in May for workers aged 15-64 hit a 33-year high of 66.1 percent, according to data released Wednesday.

About 26 million people were hired in May, about 379,000 more than in the same month last year, Statistics Korea reported.

The employment rate for workers aged 15-64 also increased by 0.5 percentage points on-year.

Statistics Korea said the rate was calculated on the basis of guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A spokesperson at Statistics Korea stated that the increased rate of hires could be due to warming weather and increased demand for hires in the food and lodging industry.

However, experts speculate that the number of hires would temporarily decrease once the summer rainy season approaches, and that the recent MERS outbreak would affect hiring in the near future.