Seoul: South Korea maintained on-year employment growth at the 100,000 level for the second consecutive year in 2025, as job losses continued in the manufacturing and construction sectors and youth employment remained sluggish, data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people increased by 193,000, or 0.7 percent, from a year earlier to reach 28.77 million last year, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
According to Yonhap News Agency, job creation had been more robust in the immediate post-pandemic period, with 816,000 new positions added in 2022, marking the largest on-year increase in 22 years. However, the pace slowed to 327,000 in 2023 and weakened further in 2024, when only 159,000 jobs were added. By sector, the construction industry shed 125,000 jobs in 2025 amid a prolonged downturn. The agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector also lost 107,000 jobs, while the manufacturing sector, considered the backbone of the country's economy, saw a decline of 73,000 positions.
In contrast, employment increased in health and social welfare services by 237,000, in professional, scientific, and technical services by 54,000, and in financial and insurance services by 44,000. By age group, employment among people aged 60 and older rose by 345,000 on-year, the largest increase among all age brackets. In contrast, jobs for those in their 20s fell by 170,000, partly reflecting the shrinking population of this age group.
The employment rate for those aged 15 or older gained 0.2 percentage points on-year to 62.9 percent in 2025. The employment rate for people aged 15-64 added 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier to 69.8 percent. In December alone, the country added 168,000 jobs from a year earlier, sharply down from the 225,000 on-year increase recorded in November. The December figure marks the smallest on-year growth since August, when 166,000 jobs were added.