Social pressure is too high: Over 440,000 'lying flat' individuals in South Korea reach a new record | WPN World People News

The number of "lying flat" youth in South Korea aged 15 to 29 has reached a historic high of 443,000, marking a 10.4% increase from last year. The term "lying flat" refers to individuals who, while not suffering from severe illness, choose not to work temporarily. These youths represent 5.4% of South Korea's 8.15 million young people, setting a new record.

According to reports, this non-economic activity population consists of those who, despite not having illnesses or disabilities, opt to "lie flat" without a specific reason. They are neither classified as employed nor unemployed.

Among the lying flat youth, 75.6% have no intention of working at all, while those who do seek employment face issues such as mismatched salaries and conditions, and a lack of skills and experience. With the increase in the lying flat population, the youth employment rate in South Korea fell to 46.5% in July, marking three consecutive months of decline. However, because the lying flat individuals are not counted in the unemployment figures, the unemployment rate actually decreased by 0.5 percentage points.

Academics believe that the lack of quality job opportunities and the slow recovery of labor-intensive industries have exacerbated the polarization of the job market. The wage gap between large enterprises and small-to-medium-sized businesses is 1.6 times, with the average salary in large companies at 5.91 million won in 2022, compared to 2.86 million won in smaller businesses. Additionally, the retirement age in large enterprises is extended, and smaller businesses prefer candidates with experience, making it harder for youth to find jobs.

This year, over 30% of young people have opted for short-term contracts of less than a year as their first job. The lying flat youth cause a dual loss to society and the economy: their knowledge and skills are wasted, the country fails to fully utilize its labor force, and young people, unable to find ideal jobs, forgo relationships, marriage, and childbirth. This leads to reduced income, weakened domestic demand, and overall adverse effects on the economy and society.