Economic toll of ‘resting’ young people deepens

A woman surnamed Paik says her heart breaks to see her son, who is in his late 30s and has a master’s degree, give up on finding employment after quitting several jobs due to a poor job fit, low salaries and other reasons. “He's wasted almost his entire 30s at home, years that could have been financially productive if he had been working,” said Paik, who asked to be identified only by her surname. When asked whether her son felt any pressure to find a job by comparing himself with his schoolmates, Paik said that some of them had also stopped trying, which only reinforced his decision to remain idle. The grim reality facing Paik’s son and his peers is reflected in the rising number of Koreans in their 20s and 30s who have given up looking for work long-term instead of building careers and advancing financially. These Koreans are categorized as “resting” individuals, separate from unemployed people — those who are willing to work but have no jobs — who are still considered “economically active.” Resting individuals are also distinguished from people whose careers are onWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times