South Korea adds 113,000 jobs in September

South Korea's economy added 113,000 jobs in September, extending a trend of over 100,000 new jobs for a third consecutive month. The total number of employed individuals reached 29.26 million, an increase from 29.15 million a year prior. The national jobless rate decreased to 2 percent, a 0.1 percentage point drop from the previous year. The manufacturing sector saw a gain of 16,000 jobs, marking the end of a 26-month decline. However, the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industry lost 94,000 jobs, and the construction sector shed 48,000. The accommodation and restaurant sector also experienced a loss of 97,000 jobs, attributed by the ministry to a base effect from government voucher distributions last year. In contrast, the healthcare and social welfare sector was a significant contributor, adding 207,000 positions.