The Korea Federation of SMEs announced Sunday the release of more than 13,000 newly selected companies for 2026 under its job-matching platform connecting young job seekers with quality small and medium-sized enterprises. [Korea Federation of SMEs]
The Korea Federation of SMEs announced Sunday the release of more than 13,000 newly selected companies for 2026 under its job-matching platform connecting young job seekers with quality small and medium-sized enterprises. [Korea Federation of SMEs]

2026 'genuinely good' SME list released

Average wage threshold raised from 30 million to 35 million won; workforce criteria tightened

New hiring and turnover rates assessed to reduce youth job mismatch

More than 13,000 small and medium-sized enterprises have been named this year's "genuinely good" strong SMEs. To qualify, companies must pay an average annual wage of at least 35 million won ($25,700), have made at least one new hire in the past year, and kept their three-month average turnover rate at or below 15 percent. The selection bar has also been raised to help young job seekers assess wages and employment stability — factors that company size alone cannot reveal.

The Korea Federation of SMEs announced Sunday the release of more than 13,000 newly selected companies for 2026 under its job-matching platform, which connects young job seekers with quality small and medium-sized enterprises. The platform draws on corporate data held by Korea Data Analytics to evaluate companies on a combination of financial and non-financial indicators as well as disqualifying factors.

On the financial side, companies must score at or above average on the assessment model and meet thresholds including sales of at least 1 billion won and total assets of at least 100 million won. Average wages, new hiring, turnover rates, workforce size and years in operation are also factored in. Companies with records of industrial accidents, unpaid wages or social misconduct are excluded. This year, the federation raised the bar specifically on wages and employment stability — the factors young job seekers weigh most heavily when choosing a position.

The average wage requirement rose by 5 million won, from 30 million won to 35 million won. The minimum workforce threshold was also raised from five employees to 10. Startups are held to a lower threshold of five employees, while construction firms must have at least 30.

The years-in-operation requirement, however, was eased from seven years to five, allowing growing companies with solid financial performance and sound employment conditions to qualify even if they were established more recently.

Employment indicators were also tightened. Companies must have made at least one new hire in the past year and maintained a three-month average turnover rate at or below 15 percent. The intent is to screen out firms that have healthy balance sheets but are not actively hiring or are losing staff at a high rate.

The platform was formed last year by merging the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "genuinely good SME" program with the Ministry of Employment and Labor's "strong SME" project, consolidating quality SME job information that had been managed separately by each ministry and overhauling the selection criteria under a unified framework.

Information on selected companies is available on the platform's website, where job seekers can search by region, industry, company size and welfare benefits, or browse firms in a desired area through an interactive job map. A dedicated public-private recruitment channel and a curated list of standout companies are also available.

"Small and medium-sized enterprises are struggling to find workers while young people cannot find jobs — resolving this mismatch is urgent," said Yang Ok-seok, head of the Korea Federation of SMEs' human resources policy division. "We will work to make the platform a bridge that helps quality SMEs and young job seekers connect."


hong@heraldcorp.com