Hourly wages for young people have topped 20,000 won, but the time it takes to land a first job still exceeds 11 months.
On the 16th, the National Data Office published the report "Quality of life of youth 2025." The report, released for the first time this year, provides a comprehensive analysis of the quality of life of young people (ages 19–34) across 12 areas and 62 indicators.
According to the report, the average hourly wage per month for young people last year was 20,660 won. That is up 1,861 won from 2023 (18,799 won).
Hourly wages for young people generally increased after 2015 but temporarily declined in 2020 when COVID-19 spread. They have been rising again since 2022.
The wage gap by education level was clear. As of last year, hourly wages were 16,442 won for high school or less, 19,237 won for associate degree holders, and 23,416 won for bachelor's degree holders. Those with graduate degrees or higher earned 32,657 won, 9,241 won more than those with bachelor's degrees.
The gap by employment type also widened. Last year, hourly wages for young regular workers were 22,644 won, while for nonregular workers they were 15,459 won. The wage gap between regular and nonregular workers was 7,185 won, wider than in 2015 (3,773 won).
While wages rose, the time to find a job did not shrink. This year, the average time it took for wage-earning young people (ages 15–29) to get their first job was 11.3 months. That was down 0.2 months from a year earlier but 1.3 months longer than in 2015 (10.0 months).
A gender gap also emerged. The time to first employment for men was longer than for women, with the difference at 3.8 months this year. The gap narrowed from 4.7 months in 2015 to 2.3 months in 2019, then widened again.
The difference by education level was even larger. The time to first employment was 16.5 months for high school or less, 7.7 months longer than for bachelor's degree or less (8.8 months).