은행권, 디지털 전환 가속…40대도 희망퇴직

[Anchor] AI and digital transformation are accelerating the pace of workforce restructuring in the banking sector. As the number of branches decreases and non-face-to-face services expand, organizational restructuring through voluntary retirement is continuing. Recently, there has been a trend of including employees in their 40s, not just those in their 50s, as eligible for retirement. With high salaries and severance pay coinciding, the number of voluntary retirees appears to be on the rise. Reporter Lee Ji-young reports. [Reporter] Hana Bank is accepting applications for special retirement until the 25th. The program is open to employees aged 40 or older with at least 15 years of continuous service. Employees born between 1971 and 1974 will receive up to 28 months' worth of average salary. Not only at Hana Bank, but across the banking sector, the threshold for voluntary retirement has recently been lowering. Just a few years ago, the primary target was employees in their 50s facing the wage peak system, but recently, the scope has expanded to include employees in their 40s. Previously, Shinhan Bank expanded the eligibility for its voluntary retirement program to include employees born in 1986, and NongHyup Bank also implemented a voluntary retirement program for employees aged 40 or older. It is analyzed that the reduction in the number of bank branches and digital transformation are accelerating workforce restructuring. Last year, 2,470 employees at the five major banks opted for voluntary retirement. This represents a 24% increase from the previous year, marking the highest level in the last five years. High salaries and severance pay are also cited as factors behind the increase in voluntary retirements. Last year, the average severance pay per voluntary retiree at the five major banks was approximately 340 million won. The average annual salary of bank employees also exceeds 100 million won. Last year, the average annual salary for employees at the five major banks was about 117 million won. As the workforce requirements change due to digital transformation, organizational restructuring is also accelerating. This is Lee Ji-young from Seoul Economic TV. /[email protected] [Video Editing: Lee Han-eul]