Disability community: “Raising the mandatory employment rate threshold itself is also necessary”
“It should not stop at accumulating employment burden tax funds
but lead to policies that substantively guarantee labor rights”
President Lee Jae-myung pointed out the low employment rate for persons with disabilities during the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s work report held at the Government Sejong Convention Center in Sejong City on the 11th, emphasizing the need to raise the employment burden tax for persons with disabilities.
In response to President Lee’s question, “Is the current employment rate for persons with disabilities being adequately met as stipulated by law?”, Chairman Lee replied, “The overall employment rate stands at 3.21%. This is because some public sector entities have exceeded their mandatory employment quotas, but the private sector falls short of the mandatory rate.”
However, contrary to the Chairman’s explanation, data submitted to People Power Party lawmaker Kim Ye-ji’s office by the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled revealed that nearly half (34 out of 77, or 44%) of the national institutions subject to mandatory employment quotas last year failed to meet the required rate. This resulted in employment surcharges totaling 143.2 billion won.
During the meeting, President Lee also asked, “What percentage of the employment penalty amount (paid instead of hiring disabled individuals) compares to the amount spent on labor costs?” When Chairman Lee responded, “The lowest is 60% of the minimum wage, and the highest imposed is 100% of the minimum wage,” President Lee stated, “We should raise it a bit,” adding, “If there’s a law, it’s there to be followed.”
*Please note this is a Korean article
Source: Beminor
