Monthly unemployment levels in Korea

Korea: Monthly unemployment levels was 830.02 Persons in 2025. β–² Rising

Latest (2025)
830.02 Persons
Change on year
up 0.9%
Rank
1st
of 3 groups
All-time high
1,490 Persons
in 1998
All-time low
430.25 Persons
in 1995
Years of data
37
1989–2025

Monthly unemployment levels in Korea, 1989–2025

5007501.0k1.2k1.5k1989200720251989: 462.5 Persons1990: 454 Persons1991: 460.8 Persons1992: 490.1 Persons1993: 571.1 Persons1994: 504.3 Persons1995: 430.2 Persons1996: 435.2 Persons1997: 567.8 Persons1998: 1.5k Persons1999: 1.4k Persons2000: 978 Persons2001: 897.6 Persons2002: 750.8 Persons2003: 821.3 Persons2004: 861.6 Persons2005: 887.3 Persons2006: 835.7 Persons2007: 790.2 Persons2008: 775.8 Persons2009: 894.2 Persons2010: 923.6 Persons2011: 862.5 Persons2012: 826.1 Persons2013: 808.2 Persons2014: 938.5 Persons2015: 975.7 Persons2016: 1.0k Persons2017: 1.0k Persons2018: 1.1k Persons2019: 1.1k Persons2020: 1.1k Persons2021: 1.0k Persons2022: 832.5 Persons2023: 786.7 Persons2024: 823 Persons2025: 830 Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for monthly unemployment levels in Korea is 830.02 Persons, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, monthly unemployment levels in Korea peaked at 1,490 Persons in 1998 and was at its lowest, 430.25 Persons, in 1995.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 462.5 Persons 462.5 Persons 462.5 Persons 1
1990s 682.94 Persons 430.25 Persons 1,490 Persons 10
2000s 849.26 Persons 750.83 Persons 978.01 Persons 10
2010s 950.35 Persons 808.21 Persons 1,073 Persons 10
2020s 902.89 Persons 786.7 Persons 1,108 Persons 6

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 1 OECD 34,246 Persons compare
  2. 2 United States 6,761 Persons compare
  3. 3 Spain 2,608 Persons compare
  4. 4 France 2,451 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 45 places β†’

More work & labour data for Korea

All data for Korea β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is monthly unemployment levels in Korea?
Monthly unemployment levels in Korea was 830.02 Persons in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest monthly unemployment levels recorded in Korea?
The highest recorded value was 1,490 Persons in 1998.
What is the lowest monthly unemployment levels recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 430.25 Persons in 1995.
How does Korea rank for monthly unemployment levels?
Korea ranks 1st out of 3 groups with data for 2025.
Is monthly unemployment levels rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Korea data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Monthly unemployment levels. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Monthly unemployment levels in Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/monthly-unemployment-levels/korea/

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About this data

Indicator
Monthly unemployment levels
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
45 places, 1,684 data points, 1955–2025
Last refreshed

The infra-annual dataflow on the monthly unemployed population is a subset of the infra-annual labour statistics database, which contains predominantly monthly and quarterly statistics on the unemployed population by age groups (15+, 15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 15-64 and 15-74 where available) and sex and associated statistical methodological information and associated statistical methodological information, for the OECD member countries and for selected other economies. Chile, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom publish Labour Force Survey (LFS) data using a rolling quarter methodology. The OECD treats the middle month of the rolling quarter as the reference month. As a result, the publication of monthly LFS data for these countries may be delayed by one month or more relative to the OECD reference month. The unemployed are persons in their working age who, in the reference period, do not have a job; are available for work; and, have taken specific steps to find a job. The infra-annual labour statistics compiled for all OECD member countries, are drawn from Labour Force Surveys based on definition provided by the 19th Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013. The uniform application of these definitions across all OECD member countries results in estimates that are internationally comparable.