Gwangju Sees Rise in Employment in October, While Jeonnam Records Slight Decline

Gwangju Employment Rate Rises to 62.0%, Up 2.2 Percentage Points
Jeonnam Employment Rate at 66.2%... Decline Attributed to Fewer Employed Persons

The employment trends in Gwangju and Jeonnam in October presented a stark contrast. Gwangju saw a notable increase in the number of employed persons and a rise in the employment rate, whereas Jeonnam experienced a decrease in the number of employed persons and a decline in the employment rate.

In October, Gwangju saw increases in both the number of employed people and the employment rate, whereas Jeonnam experienced a decrease in the number of employed people and a decline in the employment rate.

According to the “October Gwangju-Jeonnam Employment Trends” released by the Honam Regional Statistics Office on November 12, the number of employed persons aged 15 and over in Gwangju was 790,000, an increase of 26,000 (3.4%) compared to the same month last year. The employment rate rose by 2.2 percentage points to 62.0%.

By industry, the number of employed persons in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries decreased by 4,000 (-20.3%), but increased by 22,000 (6.6%) in business, personal, and public services; by 6,000 (7.2%) in electricity, transportation, communications, and finance; and by 2,000 (2.3%) in construction. Among non-wage workers, the number of self-employed persons fell by 11,000 (-7.0%) and unpaid family workers decreased by 1,000 (-7.9%).

The economically active population in Gwangju reached 808,000, an increase of 25,000, and the labor force participation rate rose by 2.1 percentage points to 63.4%. The economically inactive population decreased by 28,000 (-5.7%) to 466,000. The number of unemployed persons fell by 2,000 (-8.0%) to 18,000, and the unemployment rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points to 2.3%.

In Jeonnam, the number of employed persons aged 15 and over was 1,007,000, a decrease of 3,000 (-0.3%) compared to the same month last year. The employment rate declined by 0.3 percentage points to 66.2%.

By industry, the number of employed persons increased by 21,000 (31.2%) in electricity, transportation, communications, and finance; by 12,000 (3.5%) in business, personal, and public services; and by 4,000 (4.1%) in manufacturing. In contrast, there were decreases of 27,000 (-12.6%) in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries; 7,000 (-3.6%) in wholesale and retail trade, accommodation, and food services; and 6,000 (-7.3%) in construction.

The economically active population in Jeonnam decreased by 5,000 (-0.5%) to 1,031,000, and the labor force participation rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 67.8%. The economically inactive population increased by 8,000 (1.6%) to 490,000.

Among non-wage workers in Jeonnam, the number of self-employed persons decreased by 6,000 (-2.2%) and unpaid family workers decreased by 6,000 (-6.7%). The number of unemployed persons fell by 2,000 (-8.5%) to 24,000, and the unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 2.3%.