Number of foreign workers with non-professional employment visas drop 21%
The number of foreign workers arriving in South Korea with non-professional employment visas dropped 21 percent this year, according to government data Sunday, apparently hit by the nation's sluggish economic growth.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of foreign workers arriving here with E-9 visas under the Employment Permit System stood at 28,520 as of June 10, down 20.9 percent from the same period last year.
In particular, the number of foreign workers with E-9 visas employed in the manufacturing sector slipped 25.8 percent on-year to 21,443, the data showed.
A ministry official attributed weaker economic growth to the "decline in demand for foreign workforce."
The Bank of Korea has cut its outlook for South Korea's economic growth this year to 0.8 percent, citing sagging consumption and slowing export growth amid uncertainties stemming from Washington's tariff measures. (Yonhap)
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