South Korea added 74,000 jobs in April, marking the slowest growth in 16 months amid higher oil prices and weaker consumer sentiment from the Middle East conflict.
Statistics Korea data showed the number of employed people reached 28.96 million in April, up 74,000 from a year earlier. This marked the weakest performance since a 52,000 on-year drop in December 2024, after growth had expanded in the 200,000 range in February and March.
The jobless rate stood at 2.9 percent, unchanged from a year earlier, with 853,000 unemployed, down 2,000. Health and social welfare services added 261,000 jobs while science and technical services shed a record 115,000 and manufacturing lost 55,000.
The finance ministry said it plans tailored support for young people and seniors while monitoring private sector conditions amid artificial intelligence-driven industrial shifts. Cash handouts for fuel price burdens and extra budget projects are expected to aid employment later, though risks persist due to the prolonged Middle East crisis.
