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Korea adds 312,000 jobs in September, largest growth in 19 months

Published: 17 Oct. 2025, 09:37 Updated: 17 Oct. 2025, 14:57

A person looks at job postings at a job fair in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on April 1. [YONHAP]

Korea added more than 310,000 jobs in September, posting the largest on-year growth in 19 months, data showed Friday.

The number of employed people stood at 29.15 million last month, up 312,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

The September figure highlights a continued upward trend in employment following a brief contraction in December, when the country saw a net loss of 52,000 positions. It also marks the sharpest on-year growth in 19 months.

This year, the labor market has been gradually recovering, adding 245,000 jobs in May before slightly easing to 183,000 in June, 171,000 in July and 166,000 jobs in August.

However, employment in the manufacturing and construction sectors continued to decline, signaling persistent weakness in key industries.

The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 increased 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier to 70.4 percent in June, while the jobless rate remained unchanged at 2.1 percent, the data showed.

Yonhap