Job security has become the top priority for career as nearly half of jobseekers in Korea wished to work for public enterprises ensuring permanency until retirement and welfare benefits.

According to a survey conducted by local job website Job Korea on 1,347 seeking entry level positions, 46.0 percent picked public enterprises as their top choice, followed by mid-sized companies (22.5 percent) and large corporate names (17.7 percent.)

The biggest appeal of public enterprises was welfare offering as the workplaces must follow strict state guidelines on childcare leave, working hours, and holidays (71.5 percent), while fat salary was what jobseekers liked most about large companies (27.3 percent).

Skill or credential building was the biggest reason job seekers wanted to start a career at mid-sized or small companies. Multiple responses were allowed for the survey question.

Desired annual salary averaged 30.4 million won ($27,200), but varied on academic background.

Graduates from four-year universities wished 31.7 million won, while those with a degree in two-year college and a high school diploma looked for pay at 28.5 million won and 28.7 million won, respectively.

By company type, job applicants to large corporations hoped to get paid 32.5 million won in the first year, on average, while those seeking employment with SMEs looked for a job offer with an average salary of 28.8 million won. Desired salary for job applicants to a public company averaged 30.6 million won.

By Hwang Soon-min and Cho Jeehyun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]