○ Jeonbuk State faces critical challenges in its youth labor market, driven by population decline, employment imbalances, and an overconcentration of opportunities in metropolitan areas. These structural issues have resulted in significant youth outmigration, particularly among individuals aged 20–29, due to regional limitations in education and employment. The local labor market, characterized by a predominance of small-scale enterprises and limited industrial diversity, fails to offer stable and sustainable employment. Young people’s first jobs often do not align with their educational backgrounds and are marked by poor working conditions and high turnover rates.

○ This study comprehensively analyzes Jeonbuk’s labor market through policy reviews, statistical evaluations, and in-depth interviews with 25 young individuals. The findings highlight critical barriers such as excessive demand for practical experience, low wages, long working hours, and inadequate access to relevant job opportunities. Additionally, limited accessibility to policy information and a widespread tendency to leave unsatisfactory jobs further undermine employment stability. These challenges necessitate targeted interventions to enhance youth employment and regional retention.

○ The study recommends implementing a youth-customized social pension system, activating job-matching intermediaries, and developing reintegration programs for economically inactive youth. Additional strategies include fostering youth-friendly small and medium-sized enterprises diversifying regional industries, strengthening vocational training programs, refining the unemployment benefit system, and establishing an integrated youth labor market information platform. These measures aim to mitigate systemic challenges, curb youth outmigration, and support the sustainable economic revitalization of Jeonbuk State.

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