Employment in services, male (% of male employment) in Korea
Korea: Employment in services, male (% of male employment) was 62.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services, male (% of male employment) in Korea, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Korea recorded 62.0% for employment in services, male (% of male employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services, male (% of male employment) in Korea peaked at 62.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 44.6%, in 1991.
That places Korea 53rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services, male (% of male employment) in Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 44.6% | — |
| 1992 | 46.4% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 48.1% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 48.8% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 49.3% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 50.4% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 51.5% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 54.7% | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 55.9% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 55.4% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 56.4% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 57.1% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 57.1% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 57.9% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 58.2% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 58.8% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 59.6% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 60.1% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 60.8% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 60.6% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 61.2% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 61.4% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 60.8% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 60.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 61.1% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 61.3% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 61.0% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 61.3% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 60.8% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 60.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 60.9% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 61.5% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 61.7% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 62.0% | +0.5% |
Korea compared with similar countries
- Korea's 62.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 66.0%, 94% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Korea's 62.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 48.8%, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.0% | 44.6% | 55.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 58.1% | 55.4% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.1% | 60.6% | 61.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.3% | 60.8% | 62.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
- 50 Dominican Republic 62.5% compare
- 51 Trinidad and Tobago 62.3% compare
- 52 Chile 62.1% compare
- 54 Costa Rica 61.9% compare
- 55 Brazil 61.6% compare
- 56 United Arab Emirates 61.3% compare
More work & labour data for 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 services, male (% of male employment) in Korea?
- Employment in services, male (% of male employment) in Korea was 62.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services, male (% of male employment) recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 62.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in services, male (% of male employment) recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.6% in 1991.
- How does Korea rank for employment in services, male (% of male employment)?
- Korea ranks 53rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).