January Employment Rises by Only 108,000... Youth Employment Rate Falls for 21st Consecutive Month (Updated)

National Data Office Releases January Employment Trend
The Smallest Increase in Employment in 13 Months
Number of Unemployed Also Up 128,000 from a Year Earlier

The number of employed people in January this year increased by only 108,000. This was the smallest increase in 1 year and 1 month. Even this limited growth was concentrated among those in their 50s and older. The number of employed people in their 20s decreased by nearly 200,000. As a result, the youth employment rate has continued its downward trend for 21 consecutive months.

On the 10th, job seekers line up to attend interviews at the '2026 Shipping Companies Maritime Officers Job Fair' held at the Busan Port International Exhibition and Convention Center in Dong-gu, Busan. Yonhap News

According to the "Employment Trends for January" released by the National Data Office (formerly Statistics Korea) on the 11th, the number of employed people last month was 27,986,000, an increase of 108,000 from a year earlier.

The increase in the number of employed people shrank from the 220,000 range in November last year to the 160,000 range in December, and further down to the 100,000 range in January. This was the smallest increase since December 2024, when employment actually decreased.

The age group that contributed to the increase in employment was those in their 50s and older. The number of employed people aged 60 and over rose by 141,000, and those in their 50s increased by 45,000. The number of people in their 30s also increased by 101,000.

In contrast, the number of employed people in their 20s, a key indicator of youth employment, fell by 199,000.

As a result, the employment rate for young people aged 15 to 29 in January stood at 43.6%, down 1.2 percentage points from the same month a year earlier, marking a decline for 21 consecutive months.

The number of unemployed people in January was 1,211,000, an increase of 128,000 from a year earlier. The unemployment rate was 4.1%, up 0.4 percentage points over the same period.

By age group, the number of unemployed people aged 60 and over increased by 101,000, and those in their 30s increased by 25,000.

The number of people not in the labor force in January was 16,717,000, up 4,000 from a year earlier.

Although the number of people not in the labor force due to childcare decreased by 95,000, the population classified as "taking a break" (110,000), who are not working without a specific reason such as housework, childcare, or illness, increased.