Job seekers browse company booths at the 2026 Environmental Industry Job Fair held at the aT Center in Seocho District, Seoul, on May 19. [YONHAP]
Korea's salaried employment grew at its fastest pace in two years in the fourth quarter of last year, but gains were driven almost entirely by workers 60 and older as youth employment contracted sharply, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said Tuesday.
The total number of salaried positions rose 221,000, or 1.1 percent, from a year earlier to 21.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, based on November 2025 payroll data. The growth rate was the highest since the fourth quarter of 2023, when it came in at 1.4 percent.
The composition of that growth points to a deepening structural imbalance. Workers 60 and older accounted for 246,000 new salaried positions, a 6.4 percent gain that alone exceeded the total net increase for all other age groups combined. Workers in their 20s and younger, meanwhile, lost 111,000 positions — a 3.7 percent drop — sharpening the divide between older and younger workers.
The disparity widens when job growth is measured against population trends. The number of those 60 and older grew 3.5 percent on year in the fourth quarter, but their employment grew even faster. For the 15-to-29 age group, the reverse held: That population shrank 2.2 percent and employment contracted more sharply still. Among the economically active population, those 60 and older rose 4.5 percent, while those under 20 fell 4.1 percent.
The sector breakdown shows where younger workers are losing the most ground.
Employment for workers in their 20s and under fell by 31,000 in manufacturing and by 17,000 in construction — two of Korea's core industries. Workers 60 and older, however, gained across a broader range of sectors, with health care and social welfare adding 88,000 positions, manufacturing 27,000 and business and rental services 26,000.
The gender gap was equally pronounced. Women gained 202,000 salaried positions in the fourth quarter compared to a year earlier, while men added just 19,000. The disparity reflects growth concentrated in service sectors with high female participation, including health care and social welfare and accommodation and food services. Manufacturing and construction — where men make up a larger share of the workforce — remained mired in a hiring freeze.
The data also revealed a loss of dynamism in the overall job market. About 73.4 percent of all salaried positions, some 15.5 million, were filled by the same workers as the year before. Newly created positions — those arising from new business formations or expansion — made up just 11.2 percent of the total, or about 2.4 million positions.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
댓글
0