First Half Recruitment Market Led by IT and Technology Roles... Manufacturing and Distribution Maintain Limited Demand

Job seekers participating in the '2025 Korea Job Fair' held in March at the aT Center in Seocho-gu are looking at the recruitment bulletin board.

In the first half of this year, the recruitment market was led by IT and technology positions, while the manufacturing and distribution sectors maintained only limited hiring demand.

On June 24, recruitment platform Business People announced the results of its analysis of recruitment trends for the first half of 2025, based on job postings registered between January and May 2025.

The analysis showed that, among job postings by industry in the first half of 2025, the IT sector accounted for the highest proportion at 22.4%. By job category, development and IT roles ranked first at 19.9%. IT-related recruitment consistently accounted for 18-23% of all job postings each month, which was interpreted as a sign that digital transformation and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are now being actively reflected in talent acquisition.

Despite the economic slowdown and contraction in employment, the manufacturing sector (18.5%) and the sales and distribution sector (15.2%) maintained hiring demand, mainly in key industries such as shipbuilding, semiconductors, and automobiles, as well as among large distribution companies. In manufacturing, demand for innovation driven by digital transformation appears to have influenced hiring, while in distribution, operational efficiency and integrated online-offline strategies played a role.

By job category, sales and marketing (18.1%) and management, administration, and support (16.1%) ranked second and third, respectively. In particular, as growth strategies such as global market expansion and B2B expansion, as well as organizational efficiency and resource optimization, were pursued simultaneously, there was a marked preference for mid-level managers with performance-driven practical experience and strategic thinking. Steady hiring demand was also observed in specialized sectors such as bio and healthcare (10.9%) and finance and services (9.3%), as well as in planning and strategy (12.9%) and production and quality (5.8%) roles.

Business People predicted that, in the second half of the year, the recruitment market will change in line with the government's industrial policies and increased investment in technology, with a focus on: expanding demand for technology and R&D in strategic industries; increasing employment at regional and mid-sized companies; and continued demand for industry-linked talent.

Jung Minho, head of Business People, stated, "In the first half of 2025, hiring was concentrated in the IT sector, a future growth industry, due to the economic recession and turbulent domestic situation. However, in the second half, hiring demand is expected to increase across all industries. Nevertheless, with the ongoing instability in the international situation, such as the war in the Middle East, companies will closely monitor the rapidly changing environment and respond flexibly to recruitment needs."