Visiting Job Center

A mobile public employment service in which employment centers visit directly to provide counseling, placement, and training for employment-vulnerable groups and residents in areas with low accessibil

Visiting Job Center

Overview

The Visiting Job Center (찾아가는 일자리센터) is a mobile public employment service operated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and local governments. For residents who have difficulty visiting an employment center or job center, staff visit villages, markets, welfare centers, and other locations in person to provide employment counseling, job placement, and job-seeker–employer meetings. Its core goal is to improve accessibility for employment-vulnerable groups such as older adults, people with disabilities, women with career interruptions, and reclusive or isolated young people. It is characterized by connecting counseling, placement, and follow-up management into a single flow, beyond simple on-site publicity.

Main Details

Concept and Background

Public employment services have traditionally been designed on the premise that users visit an offline employment center. However, in rural and fishing villages, island areas, outer areas of large cities, and areas with concentrated older populations, low service utilization due to physical distance and information gaps has been continuously raised as a problem. The Visiting Job Center emerged as an alternative to resolve this spatial mismatch between demand and supply, and its operating methods have diversified as demand for non-face-to-face and mobile services increased after COVID-19.

Operating Bodies and Legal Basis

At the central level, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment Information Service are the main actors; at the local level, job-related departments of metropolitan and basic local governments are the main actors. Regional Employment and Labor Offices, local government job centers, Saeil Centers (새일센터), Middle-aged Tomorrow Centers (중장년내일센터), and the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities often collaborate. Relevant laws include the Employment Security Act, the Framework Act on Employment Policy, and the National Lifelong Vocational Skills Development Act, and detailed operating matters are sometimes determined by local government ordinances.

Main Services

Job-seeker registration and support for writing resumes and cover letters
On-site employment counseling and vocational psychological testing
One-on-one matching with local hiring companies and arrangement of on-site interviews
Guidance on and application linkage to policies such as the National Employment Support Program, unemployment benefits, and the Employment Success Package
Provision of information on vocational training courses and qualification acquisition
Tailored programs for older adults, people with disabilities, and women with career interruptions
Follow-up management after employment and consulting to prevent early resignation

Operating Methods and Schedule

Usually, once or twice a week on designated days, a touring vehicle or mobile booth visits a set location. Traditional markets, community centers, welfare centers, senior welfare centers, multicultural family support centers, and university career support offices are used as bases. Recently, equipment has also diversified, including bus-type mobile counseling vehicles, container-type temporary counseling centers, and kiosk-based self-diagnosis. In many cases, advance reservations and on-site registration are operated in parallel.

Regional Cases

Some local governments in Gyeonggi Province and the Chungcheong region operate mobile job buses that tour rural areas, while large cities such as Busan and Daegu conduct visiting counseling centered on redevelopment areas and neighborhoods with concentrated older populations. Jeju and island areas operate regular visit programs linking ships and vehicles, and some local governments attempt models in which corporate HR managers ride along to connect to on-site hiring.

Achievements and Limitations

Achievements include resolving service blind spots, improving job-seeker registration rates among vulnerable groups, and strengthening collaboration between local governments and employment centers. On the other hand, limitations include long visit intervals and limited counseling staff making in-depth counseling difficult, cases in which follow-up management linkage is broken, and uneven utilization due to insufficient publicity.

Latest Trends

In 2024–2025, with digital transformation and an employment downturn converging, the role of the Visiting Job Center is expanding. First, cases are increasing in which AI-based job recommendations and mobile pre-diagnosis are linked to automate counseling preparation before a visit. Second, in response to youth isolation and reclusion and middle-aged reemployment needs, integrated counseling visiting models combining psychological counseling with financial and welfare services are being introduced. Third, regional employment governance jointly operated by local governments, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and private platforms is spreading, and hybrid methods combining permanent bases with mobile services, beyond simple tours, are drawing attention. Fourth, reflecting aging and labor shortages in depopulating areas, the scope of work is expanding to include not only support for job seekers but also recruitment consulting for local companies.