Key facts
- South Korea's employment increased by 63,000 in June year-on-year.
- The total number of employed individuals was 29.15 million.
- The unemployment rate stood at 2.8%, unchanged from the previous year.
- Job losses in the manufacturing sector continued for the 24th consecutive month.
- The health and social welfare services sector experienced the most significant job growth.
South Korea's job market showed signs of recovery in June, with a gain of 63,000 jobs compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This marks the first positive job growth in two months, following a contraction in May.
The total number of employed individuals rose to 29.15 million. The national jobless rate remained steady at 2.8 percent, with the number of unemployed people increasing slightly to 834,000.
Despite the overall job growth, the manufacturing sector continued its downward trend, shedding 97,000 jobs. This marks the 24th consecutive month of job losses in this sector. The agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector also experienced significant job losses, with 95,000 positions eliminated.
Conversely, the health and social welfare services sector saw substantial gains, adding 214,000 jobs. Other sectors with positive growth included arts, sports, and recreation-related services (up 55,000 jobs) and transportation and logistics (up 48,000 jobs).
The employment rate for young adults aged 15 to 29 decreased by 1.7 percentage points to 43.9 percent. The employment rate for the broader 15-64 age group saw a slight dip to 70.2 percent, while the rate for those aged 65 and older increased to 41.8 percent. The number of economically inactive individuals also rose by 181,000.