Why did employment among people in their 20s fall so sharply in South Korea?

Analysts said the diverging trends may partly reflect a shift toward later entry into the labor market among younger people. The article also notes that the decline in employment was more pronounced than the drop in the age group’s population.

What happened to employment among people in their 30s in South Korea?

Employment among people in their 30s strengthened. The number of employed people in that age group increased by 103,000 to 5.6 million, and their employment rate rose to 80.9 percent, extending an upward trend for the fifth consecutive year since 2022.

How bad was the drop in employment for people in their 20s compared with 1998?

The decline was the steepest since 1998, when the figure plunged by 550,000 in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. In this year’s January-August period, employed people in their 20s fell by 193,000 from a year earlier.

Employment among people in their 20s falls at fastest pace since 1998

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Summary

Employment among people in their 20s fell at the fastest pace this year since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, data showed Sunday. The number of employed people in their 20s averaged 3.38 million in January-August, down 193,000 from a year earlier. Their employment rate slipped to 59.1 percent, below 60 percent for the first time in five years. In contrast, employment among people in their 30s rose, extending its upward trend for a fifth straight year since 2022.

Key Facts

The population of people in their 20s fell 3.5 percent on-year to an average 5.55 million in the January-August period.
The number of employed people in their 20s fell 5.6 percent, a steeper drop than the decline in their population.
Employment among people in their 30s rose by 103,000 to 5.6 million, while their population increased by 83,000 to 6.94 million.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 13, 2026 11:01 am KST

Students attend a career festival at Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

The number of employed people in their 20s fell at the fastest pace this year since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, data showed Sunday, amid a trend toward entering the labor market at a later age.

The number of employed people in their 20s averaged 3.38 million in the January-August period, down 193,000 from the same period a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS).

The decline was the steepest since 1998, when the figure plunged by 550,000 in the wake of the Asian financial crisis.

The employment slump was more pronounced than the decline in the age group's population.

The population of the age group fell 3.5 percent on-year to an average 5.55 million, while the number of employed dropped 5.6 percent.

As a result, their employment rate fell 1.3 percentage points to 59.1 percent, slipping below 60 percent for the first time in five years.

In contrast, employment among people in their 30s strengthened.

The population of the age group rose by 83,000 on-year to 6.94 million, while the number of employed increased by 103,000 to 5.6 million.

Their employment rate rose to 80.9 percent, extending its upward trend for the fifth consecutive year since 2022.

Analysts say the diverging trends may partly reflect a shift toward later entry into the labor market among younger people.

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