Coronavirus Blights Jobseekers' Prospects

Job seekers are being hit hard by the coronavirus scare, which erupted just as the hiring season got underway. Many businesses are canceling any large gatherings including recruitment fairs.

NH Nonghyup Bank, NS Shopping, GS EPS, Asiana Airlines and Hanjin Transportation postponed their hiring plans. Hanjin canceled final job interviews at just five days' notice. A recruiting staffer said, "We made a decision for fear that the discovery of even one confirmed infection could force us to turn off part of our business and impose self-quarantine on our staff."

Jobseekers themselves are also nervous. Park Jung-woo (25), who has been preparing for an increased civil-service job going back 2 yrs, said, "I'm being extra careful never to catch a cold because I might wrap up getting barred from my job interview easily show any telltale symptoms."

One 23-year-old student at Seoul National University said, "We get alarmed regardless if one student sneezes as we're preparing in the library for our job interviews."

However, many companies are pushing ahead with their recruitment. The Busan Transportation Corporation is considering administering written exams for new hires this season but ban candidates with a fever.

"I'm uncertain if people with coronavirus symptoms will be able to take the test separately," a staffer said. "We're desperate for places for this."