Even a 115-Year-Old Grandfather Waits in Line... Senior Job Waiting List Doubles in Just One Year

Number of Seniors on Waiting List Doubles in One Year
Oldest Participant Reaches 115 Years Old

This year, the number of seniors on the waiting list for jobs has surpassed 200,000. As demand for senior jobs has rapidly increased, the number of people waiting has nearly doubled in just one year.

Job seekers participating in the 'Gyeonggi-do 5070 Job Fair' held at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do on the 14th are looking at the recruitment bulletin board. 2025.10.14 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

According to the "Status of Senior Employment in the Last Five Years," received by Assemblywoman Nam Insoon of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee from the Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Aged on October 15, the number of seniors on the waiting list for jobs stood at 228,543 as of August this year.

The number of seniors on the waiting list was 80,646 in 2020 and remained in the low 100,000s at the end of each year from 2021 to 2024. However, at the end of last year, it surged to 125,712, nearly doubling in just one year.

As both the senior population and job demand have increased, the number of seniors participating in these jobs has steadily risen from 737,708 in 2020 to 997,233 as of August this year.

Status of Senior Employment in the Last Five Years. Yonhap News Agency, Office of Assemblywoman Nam Insoon

However, the number of applicants has been increasing even faster than the number of participants, leading to a sharp rise in those on the waiting list. The number of applicants for senior jobs grew from 823,754 in 2020 to 1,225,776 as of August this year, an increase of 400,000 (48.8%).

Senior jobs are divided into categories such as public interest activities, competency utilization, and community project groups. As of August, the average age of participants in each category was 77.4, 70.8, and 71.4 years, respectively.

The oldest participants were 115 years old in public interest activities, 98 years old in competency utilization, and 101 years old in community project groups. This is the first year that the age of the oldest participant in senior jobs has exceeded 115 years.

Assemblywoman Nam Insoon stated, "As our country has yet to shed its reputation for senior poverty and demand for senior jobs continues to grow, it is essential to provide sufficient job opportunities to expand supplementary income and opportunities for social participation, enabling seniors to enjoy a healthy later life."