Number of Employed Increases by 183,000 in June... Around 200,000 Gain for Fourth Consecutive Month (Update)

Employment Trends for June Announced by Statistics Korea
29,091,000 People Employed

Last month, the number of employed people increased by around 200,000 for the fourth consecutive month; however, sluggish employment in the manufacturing and construction sectors persisted.

According to the "June 2025 Employment Trends" released by Statistics Korea on July 16, the number of employed people in June was 29,091,000, an increase of 183,000 compared to the same month last year. Following increases of 193,000 in March, 194,000 in April, and 245,000 in May, the number of employed people in June also rose by around 200,000, marking the sixth consecutive month of growth since January.

By industry, the number of employed people increased in health and social welfare services (216,000, 7.2%), professional, scientific and technical services (102,000, 7.3%), and education services (72,000, 3.8%).

However, in manufacturing, which is considered a source of quality jobs, the number of employed people decreased by 83,000 (down 1.9%), continuing a decline for the twelfth consecutive month since July last year. In construction, the number of employed people decreased by 97,000 (down 4.7%) due to the continued slump in the construction market, marking a year-on-year decline for the fourteenth consecutive month. The number of employed people in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries also decreased by 141,000 (down 8.7%).

On the 28th, students are attending interviews at the '2025 Korea High School Graduate Talent Recruitment Expo' held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. 2025.05.28 Photo by Dongju Yoon

By age group, the number of employed people increased by 348,000 among those aged 60 and over, and by 116,000 among those in their 30s. In contrast, the number of employed people decreased by 152,000 among those in their 20s, by 55,000 among those in their 40s, and by 53,000 among those in their 50s.

The employment rate for those aged 15 to 64 (OECD standard) was 70.3%, up 0.4 percentage points from the same month last year. This is the highest June figure since statistics began. The unemployment rate was 2.8%, down 0.1 percentage points from a year earlier.

The youth employment rate (ages 15 to 29) was 45.6%, down 1.0 percentage point from the same month last year. During the same period, the youth unemployment rate was 6.1%, down 0.1 percentage points.

The economically inactive population decreased among the elderly (down 43,000, down 1.7%), but increased among those who were resting (up 60,000, up 2.5%) and those engaged in housework (up 20,000, up 0.3%), resulting in a year-on-year increase of 42,000.