The number of employed people in June increased by 63,000 from a year earlier. Compared with the same period a year earlier, when it rose by 183,000, that is about one-third.
On the 15th, the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) released its June 2026 employment trends, showing that last month the total number of employed people was 29,154,000, up 63,000 from the same month a year earlier. Last month, the manufacturing freeze led to the first decline in employment since December 2024, but as war-related uncertainty eased, it turned to an increase within a month.
Although the number of employed people turned upward, the employment rate continued to fall for a third straight month. Last month's employment rate was 63.4%, down 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier. In April and May, it also fell by 0.2 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points, respectively, from a year earlier.
By industry, the number of employed people in manufacturing posted 97,000, marking a decline for 24 consecutive months. The drop narrowed compared with 140,000 the previous month. A Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) official said, "Exports are very strong, but they are centered on semiconductors, and the job creation effect of the semiconductor sector is lower than other manufacturing, so the actual impact on employment appears to have been relatively small," adding, "As uncertainty over the Middle East war partially eased, the decline narrowed from the previous month."
Employment in agriculture, forestry and fisheries and in construction also fell by 95,000 and 67,000, respectively, declining for 17 and 26 consecutive months. Transportation and warehousing rose by 48,000, and accommodation and food service increased by 10,000. A Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) official said, "As some effects of the Middle East war were resolved and consumer sentiment improved, we saw increases in employment in transportation and warehousing and in accommodation and food service."
Employment conditions for young people ages 15 to 29 remained weak. The number of employed young people fell by 197,000 from a year earlier. The employment rate over the same period decreased by 1.7 percentage points to 43.9%. This marks 26 straight months of decline, the longest downturn since the 51 consecutive months from September 2005 to November 2009 during the global financial crisis. The youth unemployment rate was 7%, up 0.9 percentage points from a year earlier.
The economically inactive population—those neither employed nor unemployed—was 16,009,000, up 181,000 from a year earlier. It increased among those in school or taking courses (+117,000) and those engaged in housework (+89,000). The number of people "took a break" was 2,439,000, up 5,000.