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Employees from Korea get the lowest salary in the U.S.

August 6, 2014

Among OECD countries, based on 2012 data by the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification, 

South Korea has the second-most overseas employees with permanent labor certification (PERM) in the U.S. among all countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) but has the second-lowest average salary, a recent report said.

The report, based on 2012 data by the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification, said employees from Korea followed behind those from Canada in highest numbers out of the 33 countries in the OECD, but that Koreans ranked 32nd in average wages.

Of the 33 OECD countries, only Canada, Korea and Mexico had more than 1,000 nationals employed in the U.S. with PERM. In 2012, there were 2,639 Koreans, 2,724 Canadians and 1,210 Mexicans under the program.

In contrast, just one person was employed with permanent labor certification from Luxembourg, and Estonians numbered seven.

Koreans, with $71,645, ranked near the bottom of the list when it came to average wages — placing 33nd was Luxembourg’s one employee, who made $68,325 in 2012.

One Comment

  1. Edward

    August 6, 2014 at 8:47 AM

    Uh, I think Mexico has way more than “1,000 employed in the U.S.”

    Way more.

    Reply