Korea’s job growth stays below 200,000 for two straight years in 2025

(Yonhap)

South Korea’s job growth remained below 200,000 for the second consecutive year in 2025 as sharp losses were recorded in construction and manufacturing sectors.

According to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Wednesday, the number of employed reached 28.77 million in 2025, up 193,000 from a year ago.

Annual job growth stood at 301,000 in 2019, fell by 218,000 in 2020, following the outbreak of Covid-19, then rebounded to 369,000 in 2021.

In 2022, the growth expanded to 816,000, the largest increase in 22 years since 2000. Growth after slowed to 327,000 in 2023 and 159,000 in 2024.

Construction led the losses, shedding 125,000 jobs, the steepest drop since industry classifications were revised in 2013. Manufacturing fell by 73,000, its steepest decline in six years, while agriculture, forestry, and fisheries lost 107,000 jobs.

The sharp declines were partly offset by gains in health and social care, which added 237,000 positions and reached a record 3.18 million workers, as well as professional, scientific, and technical services and financial services.

By age group, employment rose by 345,000 among people aged 60 and over and by 102,000 in those in their 30s, but fell sharply among people in their 20s and 40s.

The number of people in their 30s who were neither working nor looking for a job climbed to 309,000, the highest level since records began in 2003, highlighting growing labor-market strain among prime-age workers.

The overall employment rate for people aged 15 and over rose 0.2 percentage point to a record 62.9 percent, while the OECD-standard rate for those aged between 15 and 64 also hit a new high of 69.8 percent.

Jobless rate held steady at 2.8 percent for the year. The rate for people in their 20s rose 6.1 percent.

In December alone, the number of employed people stood at 28.2 million, up 168,000 from a year earlier, the smallest increase since August 2025.

Jobless rate climbed 0.3 percentage point to 4.1 percent, the highest level since 4.1 percent in 2020.