One out of two workplaces that employ foreign workers said the government must increase its quota for the foreign workforce, according to a recent survey conducted by the Korean chamber on Thursday.

The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that 53.8 percent of the firms requested an increase in the foreign worker quota and 49.5 percent said they need a greater number of foreign workers.

The survey was responded to by 303 companies that employ foreign workers.

When asked why they are hiring foreign workers instead of Koreans, six out of every 10 employers said they are unable to find Korean people who are willing to work blue-collar jobs, while only about 12 percent said it was because of the low wages.

About 80 percent of the firms also said that the hiring of the foreign workforce does not impact the income level and working conditions of local workers, while 9.6 percent said it actually offers improvements, it said.

The limited employment period, the language and cultural differences and leaving the workplace without the employer’s consent were listed as issues involving the hiring of foreign workers, said the survey.

“The survey shows that many of the small and mid-sized firms, which are relying on the foreign workers for their performance, are experiencing difficulties in finding the necessary number of employees,” said Park Jong-nam, executive director at the KCCI. “The government must consider such issues and look closely into increasing the quota for the foreign workforce.”

The government decided to give work permits to 57,000 foreigners in 2012, up from 48,000 in 2011.

This year’s quota is a rise from last year, however, a total of 67,000 migrant workers that were under the employment permit system have to leave the country by the end of this year due to expired E-9 visas.


By Cho Ji-hyun
(sharon@heraldcorp.com)