The number of employed people last month was recorded to have increased by nearly 200,000 compared to the same period last year. The number of employed individuals has increased for four consecutive months, but the employment downturn in the construction and agricultural sectors has continued.
According to the 'April Employment Trends' announced by the Statistics Korea on the 14th, the number of employed persons aged 15 and older last month was 28,887,000, which is an increase of 194,000 compared to April last year.
Compared to the same month last year, the number of employed people has been steadily rising this year. In January, it increased by 135,000, by 136,000 in February, and by 193,000 in March, maintaining a favorable trend.
By industry, employment declines continued in the construction, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors. The number of employed individuals in the construction industry decreased by 150,000 compared to April last year, marking a 12-month consecutive decline. The number of employed in agriculture and fisheries also shrank by 134,000 compared to the same month last year, and there was a decrease of 124,000 in the manufacturing sector.
In contrast, the number of employed in health and social services (218,000), professional, scientific and technical services (113,000), and information and communication (72,000) increased.
By age group, the number of employed individuals aged 15 to 29 decreased by 174,000 compared to the same month last year. However, the increases among those aged 60 and older (340,000) and those in their 30s (93,000) contributed to the overall increase in the number of employed people.
The employment rate for those aged 15 and older was 63.2%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from a year ago. As of April, this is the highest ever recorded.
The number of unemployed persons was recorded at 854,000, a decrease of 31,000 from April last year.