Seoul 2030 Youth Basic Recipients Increase 1.5 Times in Five Years..."Young people, you need to go with your eye level"

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The number of basic living security recipients in their 20s and 30s in Seoul has increased 1.5 times in five years. Although the city is at an age when it is necessary to actively engage in economic activities, the number of young people in poverty who cannot afford basic living without state support exceeds 40,000. Experts stressed the need to improve the constitution of the economic industry so that good jobs can be created by the government and companies, and to help young people meet their expectations. Some suggested that the city should provide practical help to re-enter the labor market through appropriate vocational training rather than relying on unemployment benefits or basic livelihood security.

According to public data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, the number of basic beneficiaries in Seoul stood at 402,664 as of the end of last year, accounting for 4.27 percent of the population (9,411,2660). Among them, the number of beneficiaries between 20 and 30 increased 45.1 percent from 28,591 in 2018 to 41,509 last year, accounting for 10.3 percent of all beneficiaries. The number of young people in their 20s and 30s who have been selected as beneficiaries has increased by 1.5 times over the past five years.

By age group, the number of recipients in their 20s increased 29.77 percent from 18,066 in 2018 to 23,445 last year. The number of recipients in their 30s sharply increased from 15,525 in 2018 to 18,064 last year, to 71.62 percent in the past five years. The figure is higher than the growth rate of those in their 40s (28.6 percent) and those in their 50s (43.34 percent).

It is analyzed that the increase in the number of young people in their 20s and 30s was affected by socioeconomic factors, such as the increase in single-person households living separately from their parents and the difficulty of finding a good job. In fact, according to the National Statistical Office, 20% of single-person households among young people aged 20 to 34 were counted as last year.

"The number of unmarried young households separated from their parents' households and listed as single-person households has increased rapidly," said Seok Jae-eun, a professor of social welfare at Hallym University. "In the case of households that do not have assets, the system has changed to not apply the criteria for those who are obligated to support them, which has led to a rise in the proportion of basic beneficiaries of young households." They say that they came out and lived alone because they were unable to receive financial support from their parents, but that itself is already the beginning of poverty.

Professor Seok pointed out, "More and more young people are living in Europe by combining welfare supply and demand and economic activities. Our society is becoming more and more dependent on welfare, so it is certainly not healthy and future-oriented." "The lack of good jobs continues to prevent companies from finding manpower and young people from finding jobs because they do not meet their standards," he said. "We need to improve the constitution of the economic industry so that companies and governments can find good jobs, and young people also need to meet their standards."

"The financial debt of young people in their 20s and 30s has increased dramatically," said Heo Jun-su, a social welfare professor at Soongsil University. "Many people in their 30s turned to self-employed businesses because they could not create new jobs in good jobs. However, self-employed businesses have a very high closing rate. Young people, who are facing various difficult circumstances, are starting to get help from the state." "It is important for the state to understand the background of financial debt of young people," Heo said. "The state needs low-interest loans and policies to help them live a full life in society by partially canceling debts at various levels."

It is also important to discover young people in their 20s and 30s who are unemployed or isolated in the community so that they can contribute to society as professionals through vocational training, he said. "We should not rely on unemployment benefits or basic benefits, but actively encourage appropriate vocational training to help them re-enter the labor market."

"Basic supply and demand support can be seen as one of the expansion of housing benefit support for young people," said Jeong Jae-hoon, a professor of social welfare at Seoul Women's University. "If the income of young people rises, they can be eliminated from the support policy, and we need to take supplementary measures." Professor Chung said, "As housing support can reduce the motivation of young people to work within the National Basic Livelihood Security framework, it is necessary to discuss ways to effectively provide housing support to young people who are not basic beneficiaries."

Date: 2023-12-05

Reporter: 서화목