The number of job seekers aged 50 and above surged in 2012 from five years earlier, data showed Monday, as more baby boomers apparently seek new career opportunities after retirement.

According to the data compiled by Alba.co.kr, a Seoul-based online job portal, the number of members aged 50 and above came to 20,831 in 2012, rising nearly eight-fold from 2,730 tallied in 2007.

The number of members in their 20s and 30s advanced two-fold and four-fold over the cited period, respectively, the company said.

Market watchers said the increase came as baby boomers failed to find profitable career opportunities after their retirement, which pushed them to apply for lower-paying minimum wage jobs.

The country’s current minimum wage is 4,860 won ($4.37) per hour, which lags far behind Australia’s 18,000 won and France’s 13,600 won.

“Such a trend may widen the wealth divide among South Koreans,” said Kim Jong-jin, a researcher at the Korea Labor & Society Institute. “The government should make efforts to support senior citizens in finding a new career after their retirement.”

Baby boomers, which make up the bulk of South Koreans in their 50s, are estimated to account for about 14 percent of the population. As of end-2012, the employment rate of people aged 50 and above stood at 72.2 percent, the highest since 2000. (Yonhap News)