Certified companies to receive bonus points in small and medium-sized enterprise fund reviews, expanded resident employment subsidies
Geumcheon-gu is stepping up efforts to identify and support businesses that create jobs for local residents.
Companies with an employment growth rate of at least 5 percent or a net increase of five or more workers will be eligible for a range of benefits.
Geumcheon-gu is accepting applications for its "2026 Job Creation Excellence Enterprise" certification through Friday, with the aim of recognizing and supporting businesses that hire local residents and contribute to job growth.
The job-creation excellence enterprise certification program selects companies that have expanded employment and improved working conditions, offering them various benefits. The district has run the annual certification since 2023, presenting selected firms with a certificate and plaque and awarding bonus points when their applications for small and medium-sized enterprise development fund loans are reviewed. This year, the district expanded the benefits to include priority access to Geumcheon-gu's resident employment subsidy program.
To be eligible, a company must have maintained its principal office in Geumcheon-gu for at least one year as of the application announcement date and employ between five and 299 full-time workers. Applicants must also have achieved an employment growth rate of at least 5 percent or added five or more workers over the past year, and must have newly hired at least one Geumcheon-gu resident. Hiring of a district resident is recognized only if that worker was living in Geumcheon-gu at the time of employment.
This year, the district eased the eligibility criteria to allow more companies to participate. Last year, applicants were required to meet the 5 percent employment growth rate threshold; this year, companies that added five or more workers also qualify. The minimum number of newly hired district residents required was also lowered — from one or two depending on company size — to one across the board.
Evaluation will focus on a company's financial condition, job-creation record and employee welfare. This year's assessment will also factor in how well companies have retained existing workers, reflecting an emphasis on stable employment as well as new hiring.
Interested companies can download application forms and required documents from the Geumcheon-gu office website and submit them by Friday. The district will complete its document review and notify selected companies in November, with a certification ceremony planned for December. The certification will be valid for two years, from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2028.
"Companies that hire local residents and create stable jobs are the backbone of the local economy," Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan said. "We will continue to support these businesses so they can grow and hire even more district residents."
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