Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Releases 2025 Survey on the Supply and Demand of Industrial Technology Personnel
It has been revealed that South Korea is facing a shortage of approximately 40,000 industrial technology professionals in sectors such as semiconductors, bio-health, machinery, electronics, and software. In the software field, where the labor shortage is most severe, an additional 6,561 professionals are needed to ensure normal business operations and the functioning of production facilities.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on December 31 the results of the “2025 Industrial Technology Workforce Supply and Demand Survey (as of the end of 2024),” which was conducted on 21,327 sample companies nationwide with 10 or more employees. Industrial technology professionals are defined as individuals with at least a high school diploma who are employed in companies as researchers, technical staff, or as managers and executives involved in production or information and communications work.
According to the survey, the total shortage of industrial technology professionals in key industries stands at 39,834, an increase of 1.6% (644 people) compared to the previous year. The shortage rate was 2.2%, maintaining a similar level for the fifth consecutive year.
Among the 12 major industries, the shortage of industrial technology professionals was found to be 30,985. The shortage rates in the software, chemical, bio-health, and textile industries were relatively high, ranging from 3% to 4%, compared to other key industries. The software sector has the largest shortage, needing 6,561 more professionals, followed by electronics (5,639), chemicals (4,620), and machinery (4,292).
An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained, “Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 90.5% of the total shortage. The smaller the company, the higher the shortage rate, making it difficult for SMEs to secure and recruit industrial technology professionals.”
As of the end of last year, the total number of industrial technology professionals was 1,735,669, an increase of 18,823 compared to the previous year. Their proportion among all employees rose by 0.1 percentage points to 34.0%. The number of technology professionals in the 12 major industries reached 1,156,025, up 1.2% (13,543 people), marking four consecutive years of growth. By sector, the workforce in semiconductors and bio-health increased by 4.3% and 4.0%, respectively, showing a steeper rise than in other key industries.
The shipbuilding industry, which had seen a decline in its workforce for eight consecutive years, recorded two consecutive years of growth starting in 2023. As of last year, the workforce in shipbuilding reached 59,213, up 1.2% from the previous year.
The concentration of industrial technology professionals in the Seoul metropolitan area has intensified. Their share in the region rose from 50.0% in 2022 to 50.29% in 2023 and 50.34% in 2024. The number of industrial technology professionals who left their jobs last year was 156,363, a decrease of 0.7% (-1,127) from the previous year. The turnover rate has steadily declined over the past five years, reaching 9.0%.
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