7 in 10 workers fear mega special zone bill will cut full-time jobs

Nearly three in four workers fear that extending the contract period for fixed-term employees under the proposed mega special zone bill would reduce full-time positions, a new survey shows.

The survey, conducted by polling firm Global Research on behalf of workplace harassment advocacy group Jikjang Gapjil 119 from Sept. 1 to Sept. 7, polled 1,000 workers aged 19 and older nationwide. It found that 72.1 percent of respondents worried that extending the fixed-term employment period to four years would shrink full-time jobs while increasing contract positions.

Mega special zones are designated high-tech industrial hubs intended to draw companies and investment away from the Greater Seoul area to promote balanced regional development.

The government is considering a "2+2" fixed-term employment scheme for these zones, under which the current two-year limit on fixed-term contracts could be extended by an additional two years with the worker's agreement.

When asked how much they agreed with labor groups' concern that extending the fixed-term employment period would not resolve job insecurity but instead prolong precarious employment by two more years, 83.5 percent of workers said they agreed.

Agreement was highest among workers in their 20s, at 87.7 percent, followed by those in their 50s (83.8 percent), 30s (82.6 percent) and 40s (82.5 percent).

On the question of job creation in areas designated as mega special zones, 42.5 percent of respondents — the largest share — said large-scale investment and deregulation would significantly contribute to job growth.

Some 37.7 percent said investment focused on infrastructure would not generate as many jobs as hoped, while 19.8 percent said they were unsure.

Jikjang Gapjil 119 called on the government to establish a principle of hiring full-time workers for permanent, ongoing duties rather than creating a system that allows fixed-term workers to be employed for longer periods. The group also urged authorities to develop measures to address job insecurity and discrimination faced by fixed-term workers.