Q3 Employee Jobs Up 139,000...Jobs for Young People Under 30 Down 127,000

Trends in Employee Jobs in the Third Quarter of 2025

In the third quarter of this year, the number of employee jobs increased by 139,000, continuing its upward trend. However, due to the ongoing slump in the construction and manufacturing sectors, the number of jobs for young people decreased by 127,000, widening the gap between generations and industries in the labor market.

According to the report titled "Trends in Employee Jobs in the Third Quarter of 2025" released by the National Data Office on February 24, as of August this year the total number of employee jobs stood at 20,927,000, an increase of 139,000 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Jobs continuously held by the same workers as last year accounted for 73.3% (15,349,000). Jobs where workers were replaced due to retirement or job changes numbered 3,272,000 (15.6%), and newly created jobs through new hiring totaled 2,306,000, accounting for 11.0%. A total of 2,167,000 jobs disappeared due to company closures or business downsizing.

By industry, jobs increased in health and social welfare (129,000), professional, scientific and technical services (31,000), and membership organizations, repair and other personal services (29,000). In contrast, the construction industry saw a sharp decline of 128,000 jobs. Manufacturing also lost 15,000 jobs, continuing its downward trend.

A view of the job information board at the Seoul Western Employment Welfare Plus Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Yonhap News.

Within manufacturing, some sectors added jobs, but declines were recorded in electronic components (down 5,000), structural metal products (down 3,000), and other fabricated metal products (down 3,000).

By age group, the number of jobs among those under 30 years old, including people in their 20s, plummeted by 127,000. In this age group, jobs particularly decreased in manufacturing (down 27,000), construction (down 20,000), and information and communications (down 19,000).

Among people in their 40s, the number of jobs fell by 59,000. In contrast, jobs increased among those aged 60 and older (up 223,000), those in their 30s (up 85,000), and those in their 50s (up 18,000). For those aged 60 and older, who are leading the labor market, jobs increased in health and social welfare (89,000), business services and leasing (26,000), and manufacturing (25,000).