Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in South Korea
South Korea: Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 828.68 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in South Korea, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in South Korea is 828.68, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in South Korea peaked at 1,106 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 784.69, in 2023.
South Korea ranks 15th of 72 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 829.79 | — |
| 2015 | 968.61 | +16.7% |
| 2016 | 1,006 | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 1,019 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 1,071 | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 1,060 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 1,106 | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 1,035 | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 830.23 | -19.8% |
| 2023 | 784.69 | -5.5% |
| 2024 | 821.75 | +4.7% |
| 2025 | 828.68 | +0.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 828.68 is above the median for high income countries, which is 169.05, 4.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 828.68 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 159.8, 5.2× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 992.19 | 829.79 | 1,071 | 6 |
| 2020s | 900.98 | 784.69 | 1,106 | 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 unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in South Korea?
- Unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) in South Korea was 828.68 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1,106 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 784.69 in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- South Korea ranks 15th out of 72 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of 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. The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.