Relocated public institutions to hire most regional talent in 2025; half to hire zero

Public institutions that relocated from Seoul to provincial areas hired a record number of regional talents last year, with 1,527 individuals recruited across 127 institutions. This figure matches the previous high set in 2019, indicating a continued effort to boost local employment. The regional hiring rate stood at 40.7%, exceeding the legal requirement for the third consecutive year and surpassing the 2023 rate of 40.6% and 2024's 41.4%.

The "Act on the Special Measures for the Promotion of Innovation Cities and the Balanced Development of Provincial Capitals" mandates that these institutions hire a certain percentage of graduates from local high schools and universities in the region where their headquarters are located, provided they hire more than six new employees. The legal requirement for regional hiring has steadily increased from 18% in 2018 to 30% in 2022.

Among the 13 innovation cities, Daejeon recorded the highest regional hiring rate at 54.2%, with 429 out of 791 new employees being local hires. This was the only city to surpass 50%. Gangwon, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, and Ulsan innovation cities also saw rates above 40%.

However, a significant issue remains: 64 out of the 127 institutions, nearly half, hired zero regional talents. Furthermore, eight institutions fell below the average hiring rate of 40.7%. Critics also point to the practice of "split hiring," where institutions hire between one and five regional talents to circumvent the requirement of hiring at least six, which is also seen as a practice needing improvement.