LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in South Korea
South Korea: LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment was 5.28 in 2025. ▲ Rising
LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in South Korea, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in South Korea stood at 5.28.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in South Korea peaked at 7.71 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.11, in 2014.
That places South Korea 49th out of 58 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4.11 | — |
| 2015 | 5.34 | +29.9% |
| 2016 | 5.46 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 5.66 | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 6.02 | +6.4% |
| 2019 | 6.34 | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 7.71 | +21.5% |
| 2021 | 7.29 | -5.3% |
| 2022 | 5.65 | -22.5% |
| 2023 | 5.13 | -9.2% |
| 2024 | 5.33 | +3.9% |
| 2025 | 5.28 | -1.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 5.28 is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.88, 59% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 5.28 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.42, 97% of the median. (8 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5.49 | 4.11 | 6.34 | 6 |
| 2020s | 6.07 | 5.13 | 7.71 | 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 lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in South Korea?
- Lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment in South Korea was 5.28 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 7.71 in 2020.
- What is the lowest lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.11 in 2014.
- How does South Korea rank for lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment?
- South Korea ranks 49th out of 58 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lu2: combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. 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 LU2: Combined rate of time-related underemployment and unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. LU2 represents the share of the labour force that are either in unemployment or time-related underemployment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.