The employment rate for people in their 20s fell in 2025 for the first time in five years, due to a shrinking population and a weak job market. Data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics showed the rate at 60.2 percent, down 0.8 percentage points from the previous year—the first decline since 2020. The number of employed youths totaled 3.44 million, a drop of 170,000.
Data released Sunday by the Ministry of Data and Statistics showed that the employment rate for people in their 20s stood at 60.2 percent in 2025, down 0.8 percentage points from the previous year. This marked the first on-year decline since 2020, when hiring slumped amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of employed people in their 20s totaled 3.44 million last year, a decrease of 170,000 from a year earlier. The decline has persisted for three straight years, accelerating from 82,000 in 2023 to 124,000 in 2024. While the population in this age group has fallen for five consecutive years since 2021, the employment drop outpaced the population decrease, indicating broader weakness in the labor market.
"In the past, many people found jobs in their 20s, but there is now a growing tendency for people to wait until their 30s in search of better opportunities," said Yang Jun-seok, a professor of economics at the Catholic University of Korea.
Separate ministry data indicated that jobs at large conglomerates reached 4.43 million in 2024, up 17,000 from the year before. However, the share of jobs held by the same workers rose 0.8 percentage points to 84.4 percent, signaling limited job mobility. These figures highlight ongoing challenges for youth employment in South Korea, amid demographic shifts and economic pressures.
