Nearly 400,000 S. Korean youth economically inactive in May

[Photo by Yonhap]

Recent statistics reveal a concerning trend in the South Korean job market, with nearly 400,000 young people neither working nor seeking employment as of last month. According to data released by the Statistics Korea on Sunday, the number of economically inactive individuals aged 15 to 29 reached 398,000 in May, up by 13,000 from a year ago.

Among these, over 120,000 young people, despite expressing a desire to work, have given up job hunting due to discouragement. This subgroup, referred to as “discouraged job seekers,” has grown significantly, reflecting a deepening issue of job market mismatches. These individuals represent 4.9 percent of the total youth population, up from 4.6 percent a year ago.

The government attributes this trend to several factors. While many of these young people have high job-seeking motivation and previous work experience, a significant number also suffer from decreased job-seeking enthusiasm due to prolonged periods of inactivity or a mismatch between job opportunities and personal aptitudes.

Furthermore, the average number of discouraged job seekers each month from January to May this year stood at 120,179, up over 11,000 compared to the same period last year. These young people are classified as part of the economically inactive population, indicating that they want and are able to work but have stopped searching because they believe they will not find suitable employment, particularly due to unsatisfactory wage levels and job conditions.