The vacancy rate for kitchen staff working in schools in the Seoul area was found to be 12%. In the Gangnam and Seocho areas, the rate was recorded as the highest in Seoul at 33.4%.
On the basis of May 1, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 8th that there are 3,469 kitchen staff across 11 education support offices and one direct agency. They have been unable to hire 479 out of a total quota of 3,948. The resulting vacancy rate is 12.1%.
Kitchen staff are considered educational public service personnel. After hiring, they work for a probation period of three months and undergo evaluation before being employed as permanent employees with guaranteed retirement at the age of 60. However, due to the high workload of commuting to school early in the morning and preparing meals for hundreds of students, there are reportedly not many applicants.
The area with the highest vacancy rate in Seoul is the Gangnam and Seocho Education Support Office. The quota is 503, but there is a shortage of 168. Following that are Gangdong and Songpa (19.8%), Dongjak and Gwanak (10.9%), western Seoul (9.2%), Seongdong and Gwangjin (8.1%), southern Seoul (7.9%), Seongbuk and Gangbuk (6.8%), Gangseo and Yangcheon (6.8%), eastern Seoul (3.9%), central Seoul (3.1%), and northern Seoul (2.9%) in order of vacancy rate.
Taking this situation into account, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has been continually hiring kitchen staff since last year. They plan to fill the shortage positions regularly along with biannual regular hiring.
Nevertheless, schools that are unable to hire kitchen staff are reportedly employing temporary workers. Some schools are also using labor recruitment applications to find staff.
As a result, there are calls within and outside the education sector to improve the treatment of kitchen staff in order to reduce the vacancy rate.