Nationwide, 102 employment centers are transforming from administrative-focused institutions into 'lifetime job total care' organizations that support job seekers in employment and career development. Routine tasks such as salary payments and document reviews will be handled by artificial intelligence (AI), allowing counseling staff to focus on in-depth consultations for those in need.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced this plan on August 20 during a meeting of the Employment Policy Council. Although over 2 million job seekers visit these centers annually, staff members responsible for unemployment benefits have been criticized for being overwhelmed with administrative tasks, averaging over 70 cases of unemployment verification each day, making meaningful consultations difficult.
To address this, the ministry plans to utilize AI technology to take over repetitive administrative duties. A key component is the 'My AI Employment Center' based on Employment 24. The AI will analyze job seekers' survey responses, work history, and employment insurance and training records to classify them as either 'self-directed' or 'intensive support' types. Self-directed individuals, who possess adequate employment skills, will be able to manage everything from job support recommendations to service applications and employment history checks online without visiting the center.
For those needing more assistance, dedicated case managers will be assigned. These managers will use an AI-based diagnostic tool called Job Care to assess job seekers' capabilities and design their employment pathways. They will provide one-on-one support through in-depth consultations, job training, job placement, and even career development after employment.
A ministry official stated, 'The goal is to change the roles of the existing workforce of about 4,900 at employment centers without increasing staff numbers. The focus is on reallocating time spent on administrative tasks to job seeker consultations.'
The ministry will also introduce a job activity mileage system that awards points based on the difficulty of job-seeking activities. Unemployment benefit recipients or participants in the National Employment Support Program will accumulate points for activities such as consultations, interviews, and job training, with automatic payments triggered upon achieving goals. AI will filter out cases suspected of fraudulent or superficial job-seeking activities.
Support for businesses will shift from merely providing subsidies to assisting throughout the entire hiring process. The ministry will proactively identify companies facing hiring challenges by analyzing job postings and employment administration data. Using the Employment 24 Firm Care AI, it will automatically draft job postings based on the company's industry and required positions, suggesting suitable candidates and the available subsidies. After hiring, support will continue to help new employees adapt to the workplace and ensure long-term retention.
Additionally, the autonomy of regional employment policies will be expanded. Local employment centers will be empowered to assess regional industrial transitions and employment situations based on administrative data such as employment insurance, allowing them to adjust project requirements and support periods according to local characteristics. Frontline employment centers will focus on services for job seekers and businesses, while administrative tasks like salary payments and fraud investigations will be centralized at regional offices.
A pilot program conducted since May at the Daejeon Employment Center for participants in the National Employment Support Program found that 72.4% were classified as self-directed and 27.6% as intensive support. Overall, 86.8% of participants provided positive feedback, and the average face-to-face consultation time for intensive support individuals increased from 18 minutes to 73.8 minutes, more than quadrupling.
The ministry plans to expand pilot operations for unemployment benefits and case management in the second half of this year and will operate an integrated pilot center starting in 2027, consolidating innovative projects. This will be gradually expanded nationwide while minimizing disruption on the ground.
Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon stated, 'Employment centers should delegate simple and repetitive administrative tasks to AI and fill that space with services that connect people to jobs. We aim to be a partner in the job journey of all citizens, from graduation to retirement.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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