Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) was 29,824 in 2027. β–² Rising

Latest (2027)
29,824
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
24th
of 189 countries
All-time high
29,856
in 2026
All-time low
19,415
in 1990
Years of data
38
1990–2027

Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Republic of Korea, 1990–2027

010.0k20.0k30.0k1990200820271990: 19.4k1991: 20.0k1992: 20.3k1993: 20.6k1994: 21.0k1995: 21.4k1996: 21.8k1997: 22.2k1998: 21.8k1999: 22.0k2000: 22.5k2001: 22.8k2002: 23.2k2003: 23.2k2004: 23.7k2005: 23.8k2006: 24.0k2007: 24.2k2008: 24.3k2009: 24.3k2010: 24.6k2011: 25.1k2012: 25.6k2013: 26.2k2014: 27.0k2015: 27.5k2016: 27.8k2017: 28.2k2018: 28.3k2019: 28.6k2020: 28.4k2021: 28.6k2022: 29.3k2023: 29.6k2024: 29.8k2025: 29.9k2026: 29.9k2027: 29.8k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Republic of Korea recorded 29,824 for labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Republic of Korea peaked at 29,856 in 2026 and was at its lowest, 19,415, in 1990.

That places Republic of Korea 24th out of 189 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 21,065 19,415 22,225 10
2000s 23,578 22,452 24,284 10
2010s 26,893 24,602 28,564 10
2020s 29,401 28,382 29,856 8

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 21 United Kingdom 35,770 compare
  2. 22 France 31,690 compare
  3. 23 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 29,874 compare
  4. 25 Colombia 27,686 compare
  5. 26 South Africa 27,412 compare
  6. 27 Kenya 26,040 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places β†’

More work & labour data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Republic of Korea?
Labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Republic of Korea was 29,824 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 29,856 in 2026.
What is the lowest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 19,415 in 1990.
How does Republic of Korea rank for labour force (ilo modelled estimates)?
Republic of Korea ranks 24th out of 189 countries with data for 2027.
Is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. 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 Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates-15/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 10,464 data points, 1990–2027
Last refreshed

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 labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.