The number of Koreans who found new jobs last year is estimated to have reached a 12-year high, according to figures released by the national statistics office this week. The increase in employment, however, is hardly good news for the economy, as it was attributed mostly to a rise in the number of part-time and irregular jobs for elderly workers.

A monthly average of 543,000 people landed jobs in the first 11 months of 2014. With the figure for December factored in, the monthly average may fall slightly but still remain above 530,000, recording the highest level since 2002, officials at Statistics Korea said. Accordingly, the country’s employment rate ― the proportion of employed people aged 15-64 ― is estimated to have risen from 64.4 percent in 2013 to 65.3 percent last year.

But these heightened figures cannot be translated into meaning local labor market conditions are improving from a structural standpoint. In the January-November period, the number of people in their 30s who found new jobs dropped by about 20,000 from a year earlier. The figure for 20-somethings rose by 58,000, mostly in temporary and part-time jobs. By contrast, the number of people in their 50s and 60s who landed jobs in the same period increased by 241,000 and 200,000, respectively, accounting for over 80 percent of all new employees. But most of them were hired as short-term irregular workers.

As of last November, the youth unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percent from a year earlier to 7.9 percent. This growing number of jobless youths is related to the glut of college graduates who have failed to land decent jobs that can meet their expectations.

Surely, a broad range of policies is needed to settle the job mismatch, which is damaging the economy’s efficiency. But corporations, especially large businesses, should take the lead in settling the problem by offering as many job opportunities as possible. It should be noted that the decrease in the number of well-paying jobs would also reduce consumer spending, resulting in weakening corporate activities.

In this context, it is disappointing that major companies in the country have not paid enough heed to increasing employment this year. The common theme of New Year’s management guidelines announced by top conglomerate heads was to overcome the challenges of the global economic slowdown by accelerating innovation and enhancing efficiency. They mentioned job creation, but not in the same urgent tone.

Actually, most corporations are planning to freeze or even cut recruitment this year. It is likely that job opportunities at large companies will further be reduced from next year, when they are obliged to raise the retirement age for their employees to 60 under a revised labor law.

This passive attitude toward hiring new recruits may be understandable, given the deteriorating business and labor market environment. But companies, especially those that have piled up large amounts of cash, need to be more active in increasing employment and finding new lucrative business.

Large corporations should offer more well-paying jobs to young job seekers. The proportion of irregular workers at companies with more than 10,000 employees stood at 40.5 percent last year, far above the figure for firms hiring 300-500 laborers at 26.8 percent. Maintaining this distorted structure of employment will not help ease widespread negative public sentiment against big businesses.