Employers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 5.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea is 5.0%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea peaked at 7.4% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 2021.
That places Republic of Korea 39th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.2% | — |
| 1992 | 7.2% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 7.2% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 7.1% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 7.1% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 7.1% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 7.0% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 7.0% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 6.9% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 6.9% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 7.2% | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 7.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 7.4% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 7.3% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 7.1% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 6.7% | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 6.5% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 6.3% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 6.3% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 6.1% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | -7.9% |
| 2020 | 5.1% | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 5.0% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 5.0% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.1% | 6.9% | 7.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.0% | 6.5% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 5.7% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
More work & labour data for Republic of Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea?
- Employers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea was 5.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 2004.
- What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 2021.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
- Republic of Korea ranks 39th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).