A survey finds 40 percent of South Korean companies have yet to decide or have no plans to hire new staff this year. 

According to online job portal Saramin's recent survey of about 630 firms, 59-point-six percent of the firms said they have recruitment plans for the year, a sharp drop from the 75 percent posted in the same poll last year. 

The portal said it's the first time the reading fell below 60 percent since 2015, projecting worse job conditions for this year. 

Over 23 percent of the firms said they are still undecided on recruitment plans, while 17 percent said they have no plan to hire new staff at all.