Kim, a woman in her 80s living in South Gyeongsang, applied for a "senior job" this year but was rejected. Seniors who take part in the public works program for those 60 and older can receive about 400,000 won a month. Kim said she distributed school lunches and cleared fallen leaves at an elementary school last year and the year before. Kim said, "I went to the senior club and protested, asking them to give me a senior job again this year."
This year, the government and local governments increased senior jobs to a record high of about 1.15 million, but more than 230,000 people were rejected in the first round of recruitment. Although senior jobs are expanding every year, competition is getting fiercer. Some say, "With a surge in silver job seekers, even record expansions of senior jobs can't keep up." Others note, "It seems to reflect a side of Korean society, where senior poverty ranks No. 1 among major countries."
◇ Senior jobs recruit a "record high" every year, but competition keeps getting tougher
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of on the 13th, 234,961 people were rejected in this year's senior job recruitment due to excess applications. While the priority recruitment quota by the state and local governments was 970,465 people, 1,205,426 applied. There is a high likelihood of additional rejections in separate year-round recruitments conducted by commissioned and private corporations.
The number of senior jobs this year (1,152,000) is 10.6% of the total population aged 65 and older (10.85 million). The ministry has been increasing senior jobs annually in line with the growth of the senior population. Senior jobs, which numbered 883,000 in 2023, rose to 1.03 million in 2024, 1.1 million in 2025, and 1,152,000 in 2026. However, the competition rate climbed from 1.15 to 1 in 2024, to 1.23 to 1 in 2025, and to 1.24 to 1 in 2026. As time passes, both the number of applicants and the number of rejections are increasing.
Participants in senior jobs receive an average of about 405,000 won per month. This accounts for 12.1% of their total income.
◇ Senior poverty rates by age and region are directly reflected in participation in senior jobs
Korea's income poverty rate among those aged 66 and older (as of 2023) is 39.7%, the highest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The poverty rate worsens with age. The relative poverty rate, defined as disposable income at or below 50% of the median (as of 2024), is ▲ 26.6% for ages 66–75 and ▲ 53.8% for ages 76 and older. By region (as of 2020), it is ▲ 42.1% in large cities and ▲ 57.6% in rural and fishing villages, meaning the poverty rate among rural seniors is 1.37 times higher than in large cities.
These senior poverty rates by age and region are being directly reflected in participation in senior jobs. According to the "2025 Survey on Senior Jobs and Social Activity Support Projects" by the Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the aged (KORDI), the 10–12 month participation rates in senior jobs were ▲ 72.6% for ages 65–69 ▲ 82.5% for ages 70–74 ▲ 86.9% for ages 75 and older. In comparison, the 10–12 month participation rate for the relatively younger 60–64 group was only 43.7%. Analysts say, "The older the person, the higher the poverty rate, so the higher the participation rate in senior jobs."
In addition, the rate of participating in senior jobs for two consecutive years or more was higher in rural areas (73%) than in cities (59.6%). This shows a correlation with regional senior poverty rates.