Seoul: The average length of service for employees at 80 major South Korean companies has seen a notable increase over the past five years, despite frequent job changes among younger workers and retirement programs targeting senior employees. This observation was made by a corporate data tracker in its recent report.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a survey conducted by CEO Score of 80 companies-which are among the top 100 in terms of sales-revealed that the average length of service rose from 13.55 years in 2020 to 14.03 years in 2024. This increase occurred despite the dynamic employment trends affecting both younger and older demographics within these firms.
The survey highlighted a significant rise in the average length of employment for female workers, which jumped from 11.38 years to 12.94 years. Male employees also experienced a slight increase, with their average service length climbing from 14.29 years to 14.41 years.
Among the companies surveyed, SK Networks, an IT solutions unit under SK Group, showed the most substantial growth in employment duration. The average length of service at SK Networks increased from 9.05 years in 2020 to 13.92 years in 2024. Conversely, Hyundai Motor Co., a leading automaker, recorded the largest decrease, with the average years of service dropping from 18.8 years to 15.8 years.
In 2024, Kia Corp. led other companies with an impressive average of 21.8 years of service. It was followed closely by KT Corp. with 20.5 years, SK Incheon Petrochem at 20 years, and Citibank Korea with 18.84 years. On the other end of the spectrum, Doosan Bobcat, a construction equipment manufacturer, posted the shortest average length of service at 3.2 years.