According to the state-run research institute, the number of employees at SMEs or workplaces with fewer than 300 employees totaled 29.12 million, down 98,000 from a year earlier. In contrast, employment at workplaces with 300 or more employees increased by 58,000.
By industry, manufacturing shed 142,000 workers and professional, scientific and technical services lost 77,000, while health and social welfare services saw an increase of 169,000, followed by information and communications with 38,000.
Manufacturing output at SMEs fell 0.9 percent in April from a year earlier, led by declines in key sectors such as automobiles, rubber and plastics. Retail sales, however, totaled 55.8 trillion won, up 2.4 percent from a year earlier, driven by increases in sales of semi-durable goods (6.9 percent), nondurable goods (4.2 percent) and durable goods (3.8 percent).
The number of new entrepreneurs totaled 98,216, down 3.5 percent from a year earlier. By sector, startups declined the most in manufacturing (4.0 percent), followed by services (3.9 percent) and construction (2.8 percent).
"Rising energy and raw material costs due to the conflict in the Middle East are visibly affecting SMEs," the institute said, calling for measures such as stronger financial safety nets to support them.
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