The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that they will accept applications for the '2026 Youth Job Small and Medium Enterprises' from August 19 to September 15.
The Youth Job Small and Medium Enterprises program, initiated in 2016, aims to discover and select outstanding corporations desired by young people. It strictly excludes corporations that meet disqualifying criteria such as industrial accidents and wage arrears, and selects corporations that provide a basic level of job security that young people should have, allowing them to step confidently into society.
Selected corporations will receive various benefits for three years from 2026 to 2028. They can benefit from exemptions from regular tax audits, additional points for selection as designated companies for military service, a 50% discount on expenses for training provided by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME), and preferential guarantee rates and fees for loans under special agreements with Shinhan Bank, among 7 other areas.
Corporations eligible for the Youth Job Small and Medium Enterprises are those designated as priority-support businesses under the Employment Insurance Act or small enterprises under the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises. Applications can be made on the Youth Job Small and Medium Enterprises website, and selection results will be announced at the end of December after document review and on-site inspections.
Kwon Soon-jae, the regional corporate policy director, noted, "It is very important to discover and support small and medium enterprises that provide excellent job opportunities for young people in the current labor market situation, where small businesses face labor shortages and youth face job shortages." He added, "We will strengthen policy support so that excellent small businesses can grow together with young people in the future."