Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Injun]

I'm in China, sick to death of China, would like to move on to Korea for awhile. BUT -- in Korea, do you see other ft's going through garbage because they're out of work, etc.? Help

[andrewchon]

When FT's out of work, they are out of the country. So, even if there is garbage (mountains of it) they don't go through it. If you are in China, it's better to change location. China is big and diverse. I bet there's lot more to see.

[romano812]

Yes it does. There are still jobs available here, but work loads are increasing, businesses are tryig to cut costs, the cost of living is increasing (in some instances you can see this on a monthly basis). Korea is still livable, just don't expect the money everybody used to talk about.

[Epicurus]

[T-dot]

Nope.

My salary has increased, my rent stayed the same and workload has stayed on par with previous years.

[zipper]

I am still buying 1000-1500 USD a month. It isn't all that bad for me, yet.

[Epicurus]

[romano812]

Two years ago I was making just over $3000 a month, rent paid for.
Now I am only making just over $2000 a month (rent still paid for) even though my salary went up 400,000 Won per month! Bananas used to be 1,000 W per bunch, then 2,000 W, now 5,000W is fairly standard. Milk is hitting $10 per gallon. Mangoes are 15,000 Won each! Taxi's have almost doubled in the last two years. Even the cheap Korean meals aren't so cheap anymore.
It's not like this is a problem unique to Korea. It just means it's worth while working here if you can't find a job anywhere else. There was a time when Korea was one of the highest paying countries in the world. Now it is no better than the U.S.A., Canada, Japan, China, and some of the European countries.
If you're coming here or living here, it better not be for the money. You will be disappointed.

[jurassic82]

I have been here for three years now and with the financial crisis I haven't seen really any change in my situation. I currently work in a public school and I haven't had any changes in my work load. They have added more after school English programs at my school. These have filled up quickly. I don't know if that has to do with parents wanting to spend less money on hagwons because of the economic crisis or not. If anything this is good for me and others I know that are doing afterschool programs along with their regular PS job.

I haven't noticed a steep increase in prices. I know prices have gone up in many restaurants by maybe 500won but that is about it. The only thing that has hindered me is traveling abroad. In that case when exchanging your won to say yen kind of sucks but the won is getting stronger among many currencies like the dollar and it is supposse to get better. Many people expected a dooms day but that seems to have passed. Take what people say on this board with a grain of salt. They may be complaining but they are still here and they must like something about Korea to still be here.

[azzwell]

[saw6436]

No affect on my life or lifestyle.

[OiGirl]

It's not all about money.

[E_athlete]

As Romano is saying the prices of certain things is going up. When inflation happens it doesnt happen uniformly... That's why you only see it until everything becomes expensive. Eventually the prices of everything will catch up to that banana and Mango.

[Epicurus]

Korea: Food prices are 2nd highest in OECD

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=46721

The OECD report showed that the growth of food prices last month in Korea was the second highest among the 30 richest countries.

The food consumer price growth in May was 11.0 percent from a year earlier, second only to Iceland, which recorded a 17.5 percent growth in food prices.

Average growth for food prices among OECD countries was only 2.7 percent. The average for the G-7, or the seven wealthiest countries, was less than that at 1.9 percent.