Nearly one in two large-sized companies in South Korea has yet to confirm a recruitment plan for the first half of this year.

Research & Research Wednesday announced its survey results on the country’s top 500 companies. The survey found 109, or 52 percent, out of 209 companies said they have not established a plan regarding the size of recruitment of new college graduates.

Fifty-seven companies, or 27 percent of the respondents, said they will recruit a similar number of newly graduates to last year, while 19 companies, or nine percent, said they will hire more.

Among those reluctant to expand the level of recruitment, 30 percent said they don’t have additional demand for their workforce. Other companies cited their contracted capacity to hire people as well as the worsening economic circumstances at home and abroad.

Local companies’ preference of engineering and science majors has no sign of letting up with the surveyed companies planning to hire more than 59 percent of the new employees from those majors.

Corporations' preference for men is also expected to continue with only 26 percent of prospective employees surveyed to be women.

Meanwhile, the average yearly salary given to newly employed workers with a college degree was surveyed to be 38-point-two million won.

The survey was entrusted by the Federation of Korean Industries(FKI).