Seoul: Almost half of migrant workers in South Korea were employed in the mining and manufacturing industries last year, data showed Tuesday. Of the 1.56 million foreign residents in the country, 64.7 percent had jobs in 2022, while 31.4 percent were economically inactive, and 3.9 percent were unemployed.
According to Yonhap News Agency, among the employed migrants, 45.6 percent worked in the mining and manufacturing sectors. Meanwhile, 18.9 percent found employment in wholesale, retail, and restaurant businesses. Private businesses and the public service sector employed 14 percent of foreign workers, 10.6 percent worked in construction, and 8.3 percent were engaged in agriculture and fisheries.
Regarding wages, over 51 percent of foreign workers earned a monthly average between 2 million won (US$1,382) and 3 million won, while 37.1 percent made over 3 million won. Visa status also played a role in the demographics of foreign residents; 19.4 percent held non-professional employment visas, 12.8 percent were on student visas, 9 percent were permanent residents, and 7.8 percent were married to Korean citizens.
The data also revealed insights into the social experience of foreign residents. The average happiness level among them was 4.3 points on a five-point scale. However, about 17.4 percent reported experiencing discrimination in South Korea, with 27.7 percent of foreign students noting such experiences.