South Korea: Labor force

For that indicator, we provide data for South Korea from 1990 to 2022. The average value for South Korea during that period was 24.59 million people with a minimum of 19.06 million people in 1990 and a maximum of 29.2 million people in 2022. The latest value from 2022 is 29.2 million people. For comparison, the world average in 2022 based on 176 countries is 19.35 million people. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

Definition: Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.