Seniors account for largest share of newly added jobs in 2023: data
Senior job seekers check job postings at Eunpyeong District Office, Seoul, Nov. 21. Yonhap
People in their 60s and older accounted for the largest share of new job positions added last year, while those held by people in their 20s saw a decline for the first time, data showed Friday.
Korea added 200,000 new jobs in 2023, marking a 0.8 percent on-year increase, bringing the total number of jobs to 26.66 million, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
It is the smallest on-year growth since the agency began compiling related data in 2016.
Jobs for those aged 60 and older saw the most significant growth, increasing by 380,000, the data showed. Workers in their 50s added 20,000 new positions.
In contrast, the number of jobs for those in their 20s decreased by 80,000, marking the first on-year decline for the age group, the data showed. Workers in their 40s also experienced a loss of 110,000 jobs, the data showed.
"Demand for people in their 60s to fill roles in the health and social welfare sectors has increased," said Shin Ga-yeon, an official from the agency.
Shin also said the overall population of individuals in their 20s had shrunk and job losses in the wholesale sector, a field dominated by younger generations, contributed to the decline in youth employment.
Compared to the previous year, women secured 130,000 new positions in 2023, significantly outpacing the 70,000 new jobs added by men.
The report, based on data such as social insurance subscriptions, said that the total number of jobs does not directly correspond to the number of employed individuals, as one person can hold multiple positions. (Yonhap)