Severe Job Shortages Hit the Largest Labor Market at Namguro Station

In the early hours of May 30, the largest construction labor market in the Seoul metropolitan area opened at Namguro Station. By 3:40 AM, many day laborers had gathered on the sidewalk, sipping vending machine coffee and smoking cigarettes. Although the labor market typically starts at 4 AM, many arrived early to avoid missing out on job opportunities.

One laborer, a 54-year-old Chinese national named Kim from Daerim-dong, expressed his frustration, stating, "I’ve been coming here for about nine years, and I’ve never seen a year with so little work. I haven’t found any jobs this week, and I have bills to pay like rent and utilities. It’s really tough."

By 4:20 AM, vans began to pick up workers, taking them to construction sites in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. However, by 5 AM, around 300 to 400 laborers remained at Namguro Station without jobs.

The construction industry is facing its worst downturn, leading to a significant drop in employment at Namguro Station. According to Statistics Korea, the number of employed in the construction sector fell to 1.932 million in March, an 8.7% decrease compared to the same month last year, marking the largest decline since records began.

The labor market at Namguro Station, which has been a gathering place for construction workers since the 1970s, once saw 2,000 to 3,000 workers daily. However, due to the current economic slump, that number has drastically reduced to just a few hundred.

Workers reported that while daily wages have decreased due to fewer job opportunities, finding work has become even more challenging. A 66-year-old laborer named Choi from Guro-gu noted, "In the past, carpenters earned between 180,000 to 200,000 won a day, but now it’s dropped to 150,000 won because there are too many workers and not enough jobs. It’s common to go ten days without work. I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years, and I’ve never experienced anything like this."

The competition for jobs has become so fierce that disputes and even physical altercations have occurred among workers. On May 17, a scuffle broke out when one man grabbed another's bag as they both tried to board a van. Choi explained, "When I say I’ll work for 150,000 won, and someone else offers to work for 100,000 won, it leads to fights. When we used to work 20 days a month, there was no need to fight, but now it’s so difficult."

By around 6 AM, anxious workers who had been waiting since 4 AM began to disperse, expressing their disappointment with comments like, "Another day wasted. If it’s past 6 AM, it’s basically a lost cause for today."

The dire job situation has also increased resentment towards foreign workers, particularly undocumented immigrants. Park, a 55-year-old resident of Garibong-dong, remarked, "Things were better during COVID when foreign workers couldn’t come in, making competition less intense. Undocumented workers are taking jobs at lower wages, making it harder for legal workers to find work. It’s tougher for those of us who are legal."

Kim, another Chinese national, added, "Undocumented workers take all the jobs for much less pay. Even though we are legal and pay taxes, they don’t contribute anything."

Kim, a 62-year-old laborer who has been working since retiring four years ago, lamented, "Daily wages have dropped to 100,000 won, and I haven’t worked at all this week. It’s so bad that even Chinese workers who came to Korea for jobs are returning to China. I know two who recently went back."

A representative from a labor office near Namguro Station stated, "Last year, we sent out about 1,000 workers a day, but this year it’s down to around 400. Most of the jobs are for apartment construction, but with increasing unsold apartments, the work is dwindling even further."