Updated
Updated · migrantimes.com · Aug 12
South Korea Adds 108,000 Jobs in July as 191,000 Youth Positions Vanish
Updated
Updated · migrantimes.com · Aug 12

South Korea Adds 108,000 Jobs in July as 191,000 Youth Positions Vanish

3 articles · Updated · migrantimes.com · Aug 12

Summary

  • 108,000 jobs were added from a year earlier in July, a pickup from June’s 63,000 gain after a 40,000 drop in May, while the unemployment rate stood at 2.6%.
  • 191,000 jobs for people aged 15 to 29 disappeared, extending a prolonged slump after a 197,000 decline in June and highlighting how headline job growth remains uneven.
  • Structural shifts in hiring are worsening that gap: officials say employers are moving away from large-scale entry-level recruitment toward experienced-worker hiring and internships.
  • Manufacturing also stayed weak after losing 97,000 jobs in June, and the government says it will roll out a third-quarter youth employment package alongside targeted support for struggling industries.

Insights

What is driving over two million South Koreans to completely abandon the job market and simply rest during an employment recovery?
With youth unemployment hitting record highs, why is the South Korean government aggressively expanding visa programs to import foreign talent?
Why is South Korea's booming tech and semiconductor industry leaving a massive generation of young workers unemployed and economically inactive?