Employment in nursing assistant services hits record high in H1 amid aging society
This file photo shows a job fair held in the southeastern city of Daegu, Sept. 23. Yonhap
The number of people employed in caregiving and nursing assistant services reached a record high in the first half of this year in line with the country's aging society, government data showed Tuesday.
As of April, 1.69 million people were employed in non-residential nursing assistant and caregiving services, up 135,000 from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
It marked the highest figure for the first half of any year since the ministry began applying a new industrial classification system in 2017, the ministry said.
The number of employees in residential welfare facilities, such as nursing homes, also rose by 32,000 from a year earlier to 242,000, the data showed.
As of December 2024, people aged 65 and older accounted for more than 20 percent of Korea's total population, officially classifying the nation as a "super-aged" society.