Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in South Korea
South Korea: Employment (ILO modelled estimates) was 29,054 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in South Korea, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in South 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 South Korea peaked at 29,054 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 19,497, in 1991.
South 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 (ILO modelled estimates) in South 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% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 29,054 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,958, 9.8× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 29,054 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,607, 8.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
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 South Korea
More work & labour data for South 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 employment in South Korea?
- Employment in South Korea was 29,054 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 29,054 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 19,497 in 1991.
- How does South Korea rank for employment?
- South Korea ranks 23rd out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South 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.