The overall economic situation is getting better, but the problem of job shortages in the nation is still serious, President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday (Oct. 15).

Even with the current pace of economic recovery, the employment market will not drastically improve within 1 or 2 years, the President said to key officials at a regular economic management meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae.

It will take time before employment fully recovers, and the government should prepare multilateral job creation schemes, he emphasized.

President Lee also called on the education, labor, and knowledge economy ministries to come up with tailored vocational training programs for the public, similar to those run by other advanced countries.

The government should not loosen its grip on economic resuscitation because people are still having difficult times, he said, and authorities should be prompt in implementing emergency fiscal policies when necessary.