A recent survey by Incruit revealed that South Korean conglomerates are increasingly hesitant to finalise or are reducing their hiring plans amid business uncertainties. The poll, which included 710 companies, showed that only 67% of large conglomerates with over 1,000 employees have recruitment plans this year, a decline from previous years. The trend of cautious hiring extends across company sizes, with a notable decrease in the number of companies planning to hire more than 100 new employees. Specifically, only 3.8% of the surveyed conglomerates intend to hire on such a scale, reflecting a conservative approach to recruitment amid economic challenges. Additionally, mid and small-sized companies are also scaling back their hiring plans, potentially exacerbating employment challenges for smaller firms as job seekers prefer larger conglomerates.