Last month, the number of employed individuals increased for the first time in a month.
According to the 'January 2025 Employment Trends' released by the Statistics Korea on the 14th, the number of employed individuals last month was 27,878,000, an increase of 135,000 compared to the same month last year.
In December 2024, the number of employed individuals decreased by 52,000 due to the end of government job programs, but it returned to an increase after a month.
However, the number of employed individuals in the construction industry showed the largest decrease on record, indicating a precarious employment situation by sector.
Looking at the structure of the economically active population, the population aged 15 and older was 45,674,000, an increase of 161,000 compared to the same month last year. Among them, the economically active population was 28,961,000, an increase of 146,000, while the non-economically active population was 16,713,000, an increase of 15,000.
Among the economically active population, the number of employed individuals was 27,878,000, and the number of unemployed individuals was 1,083,000. The employment rate for those aged 15 and older was stable at 61.0%. The unemployment rate stood at 3.7%, the same level as the same month last year.
The employment rate for the age group 15-64, based on OECD comparison standards, was 68.8%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points compared to the same month last year.
The employment rate for the youth group (ages 15-29) was 44.8%, a decrease of 1.5 percentage points compared to the same month last year. The number of employed individuals in this age group decreased by 218,000 compared to the same month last year, marking the largest decrease in four years since January 2021 (-314,000).
Kim Mi-sook, head of the Social Statistics Division at Statistics Korea, noted, "The employment for the youth group is showing a decline since the COVID-19 pandemic," adding, "It seems that irregular recruitment and experienced hiring are working unfavorably for the youth."
In terms of employed individuals by industry, the health and social welfare services sector increased by 119,000. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector also saw an increase of 98,000. The information and communication industry also grew by 81,000.
On the other hand, the construction industry saw a decrease of 169,000, while the wholesale and retail sector decreased by 91,000. The manufacturing sector also saw a decrease of 56,000.
Especially due to the deterioration of the construction market, the construction industry has continued to see a decrease in the number of employed individuals for nine consecutive months, marking the largest drop since the relevant statistics began in 2013.
By employment status, among wage workers, the number of regular workers increased by 224,000, and temporary workers increased by 72,000. Daily workers decreased by 116,000.
Among non-wage workers, the number of self-employed individuals with employees decreased by 21,000, while those without employees decreased by 7,000. The number of unpaid family workers also decreased by 18,000.
The non-economically active population saw a decrease of 96,000 in childcare, but those who "were resting" increased by 128,000, and those enrolled in schooling or courses increased by 24,000. The number of discouraged job seekers was 404,000, an increase of 6,000 compared to the same month last year.