South Korea: Employment
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
The most recent value is 29.08 million employed people as of Q2 2026, an increase compared to the previous value of 28.4 million employed people. Historically, the average for South Korea from Q3 1982 to Q2 2026 is 22.33 million employed people. The minimum of 12.74 million employed people was recorded in Q1 1984, while the maximum of 29.08 million employed people was reached in Q2 2026.
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
- Measure: million employed people
- Source: OECD
| Recent values | South Korea: Employment, million people |
|---|---|
| 2026 Q2 | 29.08 |
| 2026 Q1 | 28.4 |
| 2025 Q4 | 28.76 |
| 2025 Q3 | 29.05 |
| 2025 Q2 | 29.05 |
| 2025 Q1 | 28.22 |
| 2024 Q4 | 28.57 |
| 2024 Q3 | 28.83 |
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Definition: The number of people, in millions, engaged in the economy as paid employees or as self-employed.
| Related indicators | Latest | Reference | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor force | 29.85 | 2025 | million people |
| Unemployment rate | 2.68 | 2025 | percent |
| Female unemployment | 2.69 | 2025 | percent |
| Male unemployment | 2.68 | 2025 | percent |
| Youth unemployment | 6.70 | 2025 | percent |
| Labor force participation | 64.35 | 2025 | percent |
| Labor force: percent female | 44.36 | 2025 | percent |
| Female labor force participation | 56.78 | 2025 | percent |
| Male labor force participation | 72.00 | 2025 | percent |
| Hours worked | 1,895.79 | 2023 | hours |
| Self-employment | 22.67 | 2025 | percent |
| Employment | 29.08 | Q2/2026 | million employed people |
| Unemployment rate | 2.70 | 6/2026 | percent |
| Labor cost | 115.92 | Q4/2025 | index points |