In the first quarter, wage worker jobs increased by only 15,000, marking the lowest growth rate recorded since statistics began. The construction industry was significantly affected, with a reduction of 154,000 jobs.
According to the '2025 first quarter wage worker job trends' announced by the Statistics Korea on the 26th, the total wage worker jobs in the first quarter stood at 20,536,000, an increase of 15,000 compared to the same period last year. This is the lowest figure since statistics were compiled in 2018.
'Jobs' refer to employment positions occupied by workers and differ from the concept of 'employees.' For example, if one person works at a company during the week and as a private instructor on weekends, the number of employees is 1, but the number of jobs is counted as 2.
The growth in wage worker jobs in the first quarter was 314,000 in the same period last year, 254,000 in the second quarter, 246,000 in the third quarter, and 153,000 in the fourth quarter, showing a declining trend each quarter. In the first quarter of this year, the increase was 15,000, the lowest level on record.
By industry, the construction sector saw a decrease of 154,000 jobs compared to the same period last year, while manufacturing (-12,000), information and communication (-12,000), and wholesale and retail (-8,000) also saw declines. In contrast, the health and social welfare sector increased by 109,000, along with associations, repair, and personal services (25,000) and professional, scientific, and technical services (24,000), which showed a growth trend.
A Statistics Korea official noted, "The job reduction in the construction sector is at an all-time high," adding that "domestic demand weakness has also led to declines in the manufacturing and wholesale sectors."
The new jobs in the first quarter were also recorded at 2,212,000, the lowest since statistics were compiled. New jobs arise from the establishment of corporations or business expansions, and the low number of new jobs indicates that corporations did not significantly increase additional hiring beyond their existing workforce.
By age group, jobs for those under 20 decreased by 168,000 and for those in their 40s by 100,000, marking the largest decline ever and continuing a downward trend for 10 and 7 consecutive quarters, respectively. In contrast, jobs for those aged 60 and over increased by 197,000, while those in their 30s (64,000) and 50s (21,000) also rose.