Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Significantly Improves Quality of Employment Through Expansion of Regular Employment… Achieves Nation-Leading Performance

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that the employment situation in Busan has shown significant qualitative improvement.

According to employment statistics from the past five years (National Data Portal), Busan’s labor market has demonstrated notable progress not only in increasing the number of employed persons but also in improving the quality of employment. In particular, expansion centered on regular employment, normalization of working hours, and an increase in permanent employees have occurred simultaneously, leading to substantial improvements in employment quality.

The expansion of regular employment has continued, recording the highest growth rate among major metropolitan cities.

Over the past five years (2021–2025), the number of regular employees increased by 12.9%, from 735,000 to 830,000, marking the highest growth rate among the seven major metropolitan cities. This exceeds the 8.0% increase in non-regular employment during the same period, indicating strengthened employment stability. Notably, while other large cities experienced stagnation or decline, Busan maintained a steady upward trend, continuing to improve the qualitative structure of employment.

Working hours have shown a stable shift, with a reduction in long working hours and a reorganization toward standard working hours.

Over the past five years (2021–2025), the number of workers working 53 hours or more per week decreased by 28.3%, while employment in the standard working hour range of 36 to 52 hours per week increased by 8.2%, the highest growth rate among all categories. Employment of those working 35 hours or less increased by only 3.2%, indicating a transition away from excessive labor toward a more stable and healthy working environment. This is also evaluated as a positive signal in terms of work-life balance.

Overall employment indicators are improving, supported by an increase in permanent employees, rising employment rates, and a low unemployment rate.

Permanent employees, a key indicator of job quality, increased by 17.59% over the past five years, ranking first among the seven major metropolitan cities. This reflects the expansion of stable employment by companies and the strengthening of a sustainable job foundation, and is analyzed as a result of structural improvements in the regional economy.

As of March 2026, Busan’s employment rate (ages 15–64) based on OECD standards rose to 68.6%, ranking first among the seven major metropolitan cities in both growth and growth rate. The unemployment rate stood at 2.5%, the lowest among the cities, demonstrating that the expansion of quality jobs is leading to actual employment stability.

Kim Bong-cheol, Assistant Mayor of Digital Economy Office, stated, “This analysis represents an important turning point showing that Busan’s labor market has entered a phase of qualitative growth beyond quantitative expansion. It reflects the results of policies focused on creating ‘quality jobs’ that citizens can truly experience, rather than simply increasing the number of jobs.” He added, “We will continue to do our utmost to transform Busan into a city of high-quality employment by expanding regular employment, improving working conditions, and strengthening employment stability.”