The number of unemployed surpassed 1 million in the first quarter of this year. It is the first time in five years the figure has exceeded 1 million, and 1 in 4 unemployed people were counted as young people.
According to the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) on the 19th, the average number of unemployed in the first quarter of this year was 1,029,000. That is an increase of 49,000 from the first quarter of last year. On a first-quarter basis, it exceeded 1 million for the first time since 2021 (1,380,000).
First-quarter unemployment reached 1,380,000 in 2021, then showed a decline in 2022 (990,000) and 2023 (918,000). But it began to rise in 2024 (960,000), continued into 2025 (980,000), and increased for a third straight year this year.
Among the unemployed, 272,000 were in the youth group (ages 15–29). That is 26.4% of all unemployed. The number of young unemployed increased by 10,000 from a year earlier. The resulting youth unemployment rate was 7.4%, up 0.6 percentage point (p) from the same period last year. This is the highest level since 2021 (9.9%), when COVID-19 was prevalent.
Regarding this trend, the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said it believes the increase stems from rising applicants for civil service exams and delays in some regions' direct job programs. People who are currently without a job but are actively seeking work are classified as unemployed within the labor force. Also, people categorized as "took a break" who are not job hunting must pass through the unemployed stage of conducting a job search to transition to being employed, and the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) noted this, too, likely increased the number of unemployed.
Meanwhile, youth employment in the first quarter was 3,423,000. That was down 156,000 from the first quarter of last year. It marked a 14th straight quarter of decline and was the smallest level since statistics began in 1980.