Employment in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Employment was 29,054 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Republic of Korea, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Republic of Korea stood at 29,054. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Republic of Korea peaked at 29,054 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 19,497, in 1991.
Republic of Korea ranks 23rd of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 19,497 | — |
| 1992 | 19,803 | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 19,962 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 20,526 | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 20,990 | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 21,355 | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 21,645 | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 20,316 | -6.1% |
| 1999 | 20,648 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 21,539 | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 21,938 | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 22,472 | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 22,416 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 22,858 | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 22,959 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 23,209 | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 23,462 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 23,538 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 23,467 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 23,784 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 24,334 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 24,909 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 25,432 | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 26,173 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 26,539 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 26,819 | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 27,145 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 27,207 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 27,494 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 27,266 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 27,564 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 28,427 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 28,816 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 28,986 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 29,054 | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20,527 | 19,497 | 21,645 | 9 |
| 2000s | 22,786 | 21,539 | 23,538 | 10 |
| 2010s | 25,984 | 23,784 | 27,494 | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,352 | 27,266 | 29,054 | 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)
- 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)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Criminal penalties or civil remedies sexual harassment in employment 1 (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 64.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Republic of Korea?
- Employment in Republic of Korea was 29,054 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 29,054 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 19,497 in 1991.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for employment?
- Republic of Korea ranks 23rd out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.