Number of English teachers entering Korea drops to third of pre-pandemic levels

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/01/19/national/socialAffairs/korea-english-teachers/20230119170028829.html

NIED is looking into a possible correlation between the reduced number of native-speaking instructors and the unemployment rate in the United States. The unemployment rate in the U.S. in December 2022 was 3.5 percent, which was the lowest since the 1960s, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Three Americans who were recently recruited by NIED decided not to come to Korea because they found jobs at the U.S.

Yepp, they are onto something. If the unemployment rate was higher in the US, 2.1 million would still attract more than enough teachers. Good thinking.

What proportion of NETs are from the USA? I'm sure low US unemployment is a factor but it seems like cope to pin that as the main reason. Especially citing 3 (a whole three!) individuals who may not be truthful about why they aren't coming (perhaps they got cold feet or heard the gospel from weigookin74).

I guess hangook77 got his wish.

I don't know what to think about that article. Talk about a narrow focus.
What about the employment rates in other E2 countries, especially Canada. What about potential E2s, not looking for an adventure, wary of low wages and long hours in hagwons. What about people still not willing to travel.

10% of hagwon jobs not filled. Hopefully that 10% are the ones that the likes of scottj would be advertising...the bottom feeders!

A school I work for was looking for 3 new hires this year.  They went with a recruiting agency and that recruiter ONLY found south africans.  all straight of out uni with zero work experience. And mostly afrikaans. Epik requires proof of English schooling from their SA applicants.  I gave them the name of an American guy.  They hired him on the spot and gave me a substantial "recruiting bonus". New teachers who are coming now are coming from places like SA where the wages for teachers are embarrassing. Not to mention the 12 hours a day without electricity. E2 teachers need to be from the big 6 English speaking countries. But work conditions and wages in 5 of those countries far exceeds anything Korea has to offer.

Recruiting bonus--maybe H77 has this whole thing backwards. He could up his salary by encouraging rather than discouraging new teachers.

Not sure if this is related to the OP, but I received an email last week with the subject "You sent me your resume before." I probably shouldn't have opened such a sketchy sounding email, but it is what it is. Anyway, it was from a recruiter that I had talked with nearly three years ago asking if I needed a job or if I knew of anyone that needed work, and if so to email her asap and she would find us a good job.

Recruiting bonus--maybe H77 has this whole thing backwards. He could up his salary by encouraging rather than discouraging new teachers.

its a great little perk that I'll be adding in to any new contracts.  especially since my current employer is running 4 different English hagwons.

It has been coming.

Korea on average now pays roughly the same as a high end hagwon or public school in Thailand when things like COL are considered.

I certainly know which of the two countries I’d choose!

im finding a lot of offers for over 3 mil.  now is an amazing time to change job and ask for outrages raises.    no one has been able to find any new teachers even after using a recruiter.

Secret is out..... korea sucks
Blood sucking hagwon owners, lying recruiters, education offices being run by exhagwon owners, crazy parents, terrible housing, low pay, reduced benefits, students could be hit or miss though

its a great little perk that I'll be adding in to any new contracts.  especially since my current employer is running 4 different English hagwons.

Do they give you the commission for recruiting Korean teachers? I recruited a Chinese teacher from my old school and got a commission for they. Well actually he got me really drunk and got me to give him HR's mail but you get the idea.

A school I work for was looking for 3 new hires this year.  They went with a recruiting agency and that recruiter ONLY found south africans.  all straight of out uni with zero work experience. And mostly afrikaans. Epik requires proof of English schooling from their SA applicants.  I gave them the name of an American guy.  They hired him on the spot and gave me a substantial "recruiting bonus". New teachers who are coming now are coming from places like SA where the wages for teachers are embarrassing. Not to mention the 12 hours a day without electricity. E2 teachers need to be from the big 6 English speaking countries. But work conditions and wages in 5 of those countries far exceeds anything Korea has to offer.

What you smoking, homie? There are seven E-2 countries, including South Africa.

I agree that first-language Afrikaaners give English South Africans a bad name though. They have about as much right being here as bilingual Filipinos/Indians, etc.

Sounds like NET version of The Onion but it’s not - EPIK have made EPIK Plus+, a system with *~priority processing~* and a *~Jeju island orientation~* for anyone willing to select Jeollanam.

Reading between the lines, seems like they’re running out of rural NETs fast.

Secret is out..... korea sucks
Blood sucking hagwon owners, lying recruiters, education offices being run by exhagwon owners, crazy parents, terrible housing, low pay, reduced benefits, students could be hit or miss though

Yes, if there is one thing dominating social media right now, it is how Korea sucks. Certainly no glossy, fun tiktok/insta/youtube productions of people having fun...

The fact is that this is an adjustment brought about by the pandemic and then the reset that is happening with inflation and such.

Now you are right that wages are currently not what they were. That is part of the explanation. The exchange rate spiking to 1400 was also a big problem.

I think its hilarious that some people think people back home are deeply interested in ESL in Korea. These are the same types that predicted that Korea would be "exposed" and turned into a pariah state before every semi-international event. 

EPIK+ 

That is some legit UK-style gimmicky marketing!

Should we increase wages, decrease the number of schools a NET might be assigned to, and increase work benefits?

Heck no! Offer them a “free orientation” in jeju and an “expedited application process” and watch the naive plebs flock in! Reeeeeesult!

Yes, if there is one thing dominating social media right now, it is how Korea sucks. Certainly no glossy, fun tiktok/insta/youtube productions of people having fun...

The fact is that this is an adjustment brought about by the pandemic and then the reset that is happening with inflation and such.   

I'm not entirely sure but I think it was a hangook77 parody post. I could be wrong though.

Sounds like NET version of The Onion but it’s not - EPIK have made EPIK Plus+, a system with *~priority processing~* and a *~Jeju island orientation~* for anyone willing to select Jeonnam.

Reading between the lines, seems like they’re running out of rural NETs fast.

It's basically what JLP was. They won't get enough applicants and will require regular EPIK to fill the spaces. I can see the appeal of knowing where you would be placed, it's unfortunate that place is 전라남도

Guaranteed Placement is the opposite of marketing.

Apply? WELCOME ABOARD.

what? No, all our employees are happy, that's why we'll accept literally ANYONE who applies.

When you have to resort to using omissive language to “convince” people into applying for posts that would be undesirable to them under normal circumstances…that’s marketing.

Guaranteed placement*

*you may be placed in a rural village, you will be underpaid, you may be assigned to 3-5 schools where travel to each by public transportation may be anything from 1-3hrs+, heck you may even have to take a boat to work