OECD Average NEET Rate Drops to 12.6%
South Korea's NEET Rate Rises to 18.3%
The proportion of NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth in South Korea was the only one among the 11 major OECD countries to increase. NEET refers to individuals who are unemployed and are not seeking work or have no intention to work.
On May 25, the Korea Employment Information Service released a report titled "Changes in the Composition of Youth NEETs and Measures to Promote Labor Market Entry."
According to the report, as of 2022, the proportion of NEETs among South Korean youth (aged 15 to 29) stood at 18.3%. This figure was calculated using raw data from the Statistics Korea Economically Active Population Survey, based on OECD standards, to determine the NEET rate from 2014 to 2022.
This rate ranked third among the 11 countries in 2022 and was 5.7 percentage points higher than the OECD average.
In Italy and Mexico, which ranked first and second respectively in NEET proportion, as well as in other major OECD countries, the size of the NEET population decreased in 2022 compared to 2014. The OECD average also dropped by 3.1 percentage points, from 15.7% to 12.6%.
However, the proportion of NEET youth in South Korea, after recording 17.5% in 2014, showed an upward trend. It peaked at 20.9% in 2020, then declined to 20% in 2021 and 18.3% in 2022, but still remains higher than in 2014.
The report noted, "The OECD NEET standard does not adequately reflect South Korea's socioeconomic circumstances, such as the high rate of university enrollment, resulting in a relatively higher calculation." The report then redefined the NEET criteria to better reflect these factors and analyzed the recent composition of domestic youth NEETs.
According to the analysis, the proportion of male youth NEETs rose from 13.5% in 2018 to 15.7% in 2024. In contrast, the proportion among females fell from 18% to 15%. By age group, the NEET rate was highest among those in their late twenties (20.2%).
Even within the late twenties age group, the proportion of male NEETs increased, while the proportion of female NEETs decreased. The Korea Employment Information Service analyzed that "men tend to spend a long time preparing for employment after completing military service in order to secure a stable first job. In contrast, women are increasingly likely to enter non-regular or short-term jobs as quickly as possible."
By educational attainment, male NEETs with a university degree accounted for the largest share at 23%, and the number of male NEETs with university and junior college degrees showed an upward trend. In addition, when classified into six types?job-seeking/preparation, further study preparation, caregiving/domestic work, non-job-seeking, physical/mental disability, and awaiting military enlistment?only the non-job-seeking NEET category showed an increase.
The report emphasized, "Even if individuals are in the same NEET status, converting non-job-seeking NEETs into job-seeking NEETs requires not only individual psychological capacity but also social support," highlighting the need for customized, integrated policy design to provide such support.
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