Record Number of 20-Somethings Doing Nothing

A record number of South Koreans in their prime age did not engage in any employment activities last month as they were unable to find jobs, the government said.

According to the National Statistical Office, over 309,000 young people in their 20s were jobless due to the economic meltdown, a record for the last 10 years. The previous record figure was in 2005 during the credit card debacle with 307,000, Yonhap reported Saturday.

The number of people in their 20s who were out of work also increased 21 percent over the same period last year. It also indicates an increase of over 100,000 for the last four months, showing the seriously unfolding impact of the financial crisis.

The category of ``rest but not on payroll” or jobless is not included in the official unemployment rate and covers people who are raising children, housewives, people in preparation for finding a work, and the physically and mentally challenged.

Meanwhile, the number of total jobless claims reached 400,428 in February, breaking the 400,000 mark for the first time ever.