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Awarded grand prize in categories of Job Goal Disclosure Systems and Outstanding Job Creation Projects, along with KRW 200 million incentive
On July 24, Daegu Metropolitan City was awarded the grand prize in two categories (Job Goal Disclosure Systems and Outstanding Job Creation Projects) at the 2017 National Job Creation Awards for Local Governments, which was hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor at 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Seoul branch of the Korea Federation of SMEs.
○ The Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a two-stage assessment (Stage 1: written evaluation, State 2: presentation and in-person interview with central evaluation committee) of all 243 municipalities nationwide (17 metropolitan and 226 primary local) on the outcomes of the job policies they have implemented, after which 58 municipalities were selected to compete in the Job Goal Disclosure System category and 15 were chosen to be in the Outstanding Job Creation Project category. For winning a grand prize in both categories, Daegu Metropolitan City received a KRW 200 million incentive to be used for project budgets and a ministerial commendation.
□ Results of 2016 job policies
○ In 2016, despite across-the-board restructuring in the shipbuilding industry and the increased instability in the political situation toward the end of the year, Daegu Metropolitan City maintained an average employment rate (for individuals between 15 and 64 years of age) of 65.3 percent, which is similar to that of 2015. Also, the number of unemployment insurance policy holders increased by 2.5 percent (compared to 2015) to 11,000.
※ Number of unemployment insurance policy holders in Daegu: 424,745 in 2015 and 435,527 in 2016
○ As part of its efforts to alleviate job mismatch resulting from low regional salary levels, mitigate the effects of an environment not conducive to employment, and provide young people with information on promising local companies in an effort to improve the social perception of such companies, Daegu designated 23 companies in 2016 as “employment-friendly companies,” in recognition of their generous salaries and employee welfare standards. The companies so designated are provided with consistent support, which promotes the successful launch of locally certified brands. This year, the number of employment-friendly companies increased to 40.
○ Also, through a policy that aims to address the issue of employment mismatch at industrial complexes in various ways, including support for dormitory rental fees, improvement of work environments, and cultivation of need-specific personnel, the city successfully matched over 700 individuals with suitable jobs, leading the policy to receive positive reviews for its effectiveness in reflecting local circumstances.
○ Furthermore, by establishing five employment welfare centers (a project currently promoted by the central government) throughout the city, Daegu has now established a stable infrastructure for a comprehensive service that connects employment with welfare. By providing support for youth employment in cooperation with three university-operated job centers, Daegu is actively participating in the implementation of government policy.
○ The New Town Employment Service Revitalization Project, which was selected as the “Most Outstanding Job Project,” received a high score for its innovative proposal to install employment support teams inside Medivalley and Daegu Technopolis, both of which have limited infrastructure in terms of employment services. The project also involves establishing a cooperative network with relevant institutions and increasing employment levels by connecting companies operating out of Medivalley and Daegu Technopolis with local residents, thereby alleviating the burden of companies that have difficulty finding and hiring qualified employees.
○ Last year, Daegu Metropolitan City changed the status of 220 irregular employees working directly for Daegu-owned public companies to permanent (regular) employees. In this respect, the city was also acknowledged for its consistent efforts to improve the treatment of and reduce discrimination against workers with the aim of creating an advanced labor-management culture in the region.
○ Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin designated job creation as his top priority from the moment he took the office of mayor. Toward this end, he strengthened the support for the entrepreneurship activities and employment of young people by increasing the number of organizations and city hall departments focused exclusively on job creation, including the Youth Policy Division, Startup Promotion Division, and Daegu Social Economy Center. In addition, based on his vision statement advocating Daegu’s transformation into a “leading city of advanced cars,” Kwon expanded related infrastructure and attracted electric car companies to the city, including Zein Motors and Central Motek. The attraction of global corporations such as Lotte Chemical and Hyundai Robotics was seen as a result of the mayor’s active efforts to expand the foundation for high-quality jobs.
○ Daegu Metropolitan City is also receiving attention for becoming the first provincial city to systemize a standard calculation model through its job statistics management system. This system monitors job policy results and major employment statistics indices in real time and is able to make rough predictions of the direct and indirect employment effects of budget injections via professional consultations.
○ The presentation of two awards to Daegu Metropolitan City at this year’s National Job Creation Awards was especially meaningful, as the city’s Dong-gu district is the first primary local government to receive the grand prize in the Job Goal Disclosure System category for its innovative idea to create individually tailored jobs through means that reflect the local characteristics of Daegu.
□ Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin said, “I am very pleased that Daegu’s job policy efforts received such excellent evaluations this year. I will do my best to continue creating policies that have tangible effects on the lives of our young people and cultivate employment-friendly companies to ensure that more good jobs are created in the future.”
○ The National Job Creation Awards is hosted annually by the Ministry of Employment and Labor for municipalities that participate in the central government’s local job goal disclosure system. The purpose of the awards is to assess the outcomes of each municipality’s job policies in the previous year and designate and recognize those that have contributed to improving local employment conditions.
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