Construction Hiring Freeze Thaws as Eight of the Top 10 Firms Recruit Entry-Level Workers

[Financial News] Eight of the country’s 10 largest construction companies have recently recruited or are currently recruiting entry-level employees. Although business conditions have not improved significantly, the industry appears to have reached a consensus that it needs “new blood” to ensure sustainability and strengthen competitiveness. Some of the companies have reopened their fall recruitment programs for the first time in two years.
■ Eight of the 10 Companies Welcome Entry-Level Applicants
According to the construction industry on the 14th, Samsung C&T, Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, GS Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering, POSCO E&C, LOTTE Engineering & Construction, and SK ecoplant have recently recruited or are in the process of recruiting new employees. Except for SK ecoplant, the other seven companies are conducting open recruitment for entry-level positions. It is unusual for seven companies to recruit new graduates simultaneously, given that they require a certain period of training and cannot immediately generate results.
Hyundai Engineering and POSCO E&C, in particular, reopened their fall recruitment programs for the first time in two years since 2024. Hyundai Engineering completed the initial application process on the 9th. SK ecoplant posted a “Junior Talent” recruitment notice in June for entry-level positions. Applicants must be graduates or expected graduates, or have less than three years of work experience. The company is also recently recruiting experienced workers for artificial intelligence (AI) data center construction projects. At DL E&C, which has not conducted entry-level open recruitment since 2023, signs of a shift in policy are emerging. A DL E&C official said, “We are reviewing internally whether to recruit entry-level employees.”
The biggest reason construction companies are accelerating entry-level recruitment is to maintain their competitiveness through sustainable management. “Every year, companies have employees who leave through natural attrition after reaching the mandatory retirement age,” said Lee Eun-hyung, a research fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Construction Policy (RICON). “The most common reason for conducting open recruitment of new graduates is to replace these employees and keep the company operating.”
Another factor is that industry conditions have passed their worst point. Companies that had been overly focused on housing are expanding into new growth areas, including urban redevelopment and maintenance projects, data centers, and plant projects. This has helped them shore up their position after hitting bottom, creating a need for new personnel.
■ Focus on Data Centers and AI
Recruitment categories at each company reveal which businesses they view as key growth areas. The most notable aspect of this year’s entry-level recruitment in Samsung C&T’s construction division is its data center and office building business. These categories were not included in last year’s fall recruitment notice.
Data centers are a field that Samsung C&T identified early on as a new growth engine. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), including data centers, is one of the company’s core business pillars this year. GS Engineering & Construction explicitly listed data centers as a new business. Last year, the area was included under “domestic development” rather than new businesses.
The work ranges from identifying new data center projects to securing permits and approvals, signing contracts, and arranging project financing (PF). This suggests an intention to adopt a “one-stop” approach covering data center projects from start to finish.
LOTTE Engineering & Construction is continuing to recruit new employees for its AI research and development division for the second consecutive year. Their responsibilities include identifying AI construction technologies, as well as research, development, and management.
“In the past, most construction companies focused on housing, but more are now pursuing highly profitable businesses,” an official at a major construction company said. “Personnel are likely to be added mainly in core business areas.”
[email protected] Kwon Jun-ho Reporter