Unemployment with advanced education, female (% of female labor force) in South Korea
South Korea: Unemployment with advanced education, female (% of female labor force) was 2.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment with advanced education, female in South Korea, 2000–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of female labor force with advanced education.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment with advanced education, female in South Korea is 2.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 36.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment with advanced education, female in South Korea peaked at 4.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2025.
That places South Korea 96th out of 126 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Unemployment with advanced education, female (% of female labor force) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of female labor force with advanced education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.7% | — |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 3.1% | -9.8% |
| 2003 | 4.5% | +43.5% |
| 2004 | 4.4% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | -9.5% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | -13.3% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 3.6% | +10.3% |
| 2010 | 3.8% | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 3.4% | -10.6% |
| 2012 | 3.4% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | +11.2% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 4.5% | +16.1% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 4.4% | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | -11.2% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | -14.1% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | -13.3% |
| 2024 | 3.0% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 2.9% | -4.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 2.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.1%, 91% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 2.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.0%, 94% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.7% | 3.1% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 3.4% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 2.9% | 4.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 93 Barbados 3.1% compare
- 94 Paraguay 3.0% compare
- 95 United States 2.9% compare
- 97 Germany 2.8% compare
- 98 Netherlands 2.8% compare
- 99 Seychelles 2.7% compare
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 with advanced education, female in South Korea?
- Unemployment with advanced education, female in South Korea was 2.9% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment with advanced education, female recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest unemployment with advanced education, female recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2025.
- How does South Korea rank for unemployment with advanced education, female?
- South Korea ranks 96th out of 126 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment with advanced education, female rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment with advanced education, female (% of female labor force with advanced education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The percentage of the labor force with an advanced level of education who are unemployed. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).