How many people aged 55 to 79 were employed in Korea in May, and what was their employment rate?

A total of 10.13 million people aged 55 to 79 were employed in May. Their employment rate was 59.5 percent, based on 10.36 million economically active people in that age group.

Why did the number of older employed people in Korea reach a record high?

Government data linked the milestone to the country’s rapidly aging population. The 55-to-79 population itself rose to 17.02 million, which helped lift the number of employed people in the group above 10 million for the first time.

What do older Koreans say about working and retirement in the latest data?

11.78 million people aged 55 to 79, or 69.2 percent, said they wanted to work in the future. Their average preferred retirement age was 73.6, and 8.97 million people in the group received a pension over the past year.

No. of employed people aged 55-79 tops 10 mil. for 1st time

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Summary

The number of employed people aged 55 to 79 topped 10 million for the first time as of May, government data showed Wednesday. The age group reached 17.02 million people, with 10.13 million employed and an employment rate of 59.5 percent. The average length of service was 17 years and 7.1 months. More than two-thirds said they want to work in the future, and the average preferred retirement age was 73.6.

Key Facts

The 55-to-79 age group reached 17.02 million as of May, up 570,000 from a year earlier.
Of the 10.36 million economically active people in that age group, 10.13 million were employed, up 345,000 from a year earlier.
The employment rate for people aged 55 to 79 stood at 59.5 percent, the highest since the government began compiling the data in 2005.
Their average length of service was 17 years and 7.1 months, up 0.5 month from a year earlier.
Among people aged 55 to 79, 11.78 million, or 69.2 percent, said they wanted to work in the future, and the average preferred retirement age was 73.6.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 5, 2026 2:50 pm KST

Elderly people rest at a pavilion in downtown Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

The number of employed people aged 55 to 79 topped the 10 million mark for the first time amid the country's rapidly aging population, government data showed Wednesday.

The number of people aged 55 to 79 reached 17.02 million as of May, up 570,000 from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Of the 10.36 million economically active people in the age group, 10.13 million were employed, up 345,000 from a year earlier. The employment rate stood at 59.5 percent.

The milestone represents the largest number tallied since the government began compiling related the data in 2005.

Their average length of service was 17 years and 7.1 months, up 0.5 month from a year earlier.

Among people aged 55 to 79, 11.78 million, or 69.2 percent, said they wanted to work in the future, while the average preferred retirement age was 73.6.

Over the past year, 8.97 million people in the age group, or 62.7 percent, received a pension as of May, with an average monthly payment of 880,000 won ($616) per person.

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