Amid a wave of corporate restructuring and downsizing, Korea’s top 100 listed companies by revenue shed over 2,000 jobs in the first three months of this year, data showed Sunday. 

According to Chaebul.com, an online financial information provider, the 100 firms’ combined workforce reduced by 2,116 to 857,412 at the end of March compared to three months earlier. 

Some 51 companies saw their workforce shrink, 17 of them by more than 100. 

Among some of the biggest losses, Samsung SDI shed 1,386 jobs on business downsizing, including its sale of the chemical business division to Lotte Chemical. 

Two other Samsung Group companies, Samsung Construction & Trading and Samsung Engineering, reported heavy job cuts of 610 and 520, respectively. 

Korea’s shipyard trio -- Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries -- laid off over 800 staff members during the three-month period as they struggled to restructure debt and improve finances amid a prolonged slump in global shipbuilding. 

The biggest gainer in workforce was Daewoo Construction & Engineering, which added 740 to its payroll during the January-March period. LG Chemical followed with a job increase of 620. Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Mobis reported additions of 321 and 282, respectively. 

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)