Jobseekers in South Korea face tighter age expectations despite longer paths to employment

The road to securing an entry-level job in South Korea is getting longer, but jobseekers believe the window of opportunity to be hired is shrinking.

A new survey by HR platform Incruit revealed that while South Koreans believe the “appropriate” age for university graduates to start work has increased slightly, the perceived maximum age that employers are willing to accept has decreased.

Respondents said the ideal age to begin a career is now 30.4 for men and 28.2 for women—slight increases from last year. Yet, they believe organisations’ upper age limit for new hires has dropped to 32 for men and 29.6 for women, down by a full year compared to 2024.

Although South Korea’s Act on the Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment prohibits organisations from setting age-based hiring criteria, the survey highlighted the influence of social expectations. Jobseekers and employers alike continue to place importance on being a “proper” new hire at a relatively young age.

This contradiction leaves many young South Koreans in a difficult position. Mandatory military service for men, extended time spent gaining qualifications, and repeated recruitment attempts all delay entry into the workforce. However, cultural norms still demand that graduates secure employment in their late 20s, with those outside this range fearing they may miss their chance altogether.

The roots of these perceptions lie in South Korea’s traditional hiring culture. Large organisations historically ran mass recruitment drives once or twice a year, bringing in cohorts of young graduates who advanced together under seniority-based systems. While many organisations now adopt position-based hiring practices, the legacy expectation that “new hires” should be young persists.

READ MORE: Over half of South Korea’s workforce now uses GenAI

According to Incruit, over 80% of respondents believe age continues to play a significant role in hiring outcomes. The actual average age of entry-level employees—31.9 for men and 29.5 for women—already exceeds the “appropriate” benchmark, underscoring the growing mismatch between preparation time required for preparation and societal expectations.

Despite this, 71.6% of those surveyed said there should be no age ceiling in hiring, emphasising that ability should outweigh birth year, reported The Korea Herald. Among the 28.4% who supported an implicit age limit, common concerns included the belief that older recruits might struggle to integrate with younger peers or be seen as “starting too late.”