Employment Slump in Gwangju and Jeonnam: Fewer Jobs, Rising Unemployment

Number of Employed Drops by 22,000, Unemployed Rises by 7,000
Youth and 40s Employment Rate Declines, Senior Employment Increases

A warning signal has been raised in the employment market of Gwangju and Jeonnam. In Gwangju, the number of employed people decreased while the number of unemployed increased, resulting in a drop in the employment rate. Jeonnam also saw a worsening employment situation as the unemployment rate rose. The number of employed people in the construction and wholesale/retail sectors dropped significantly, with notable job losses among the youth and those in their 40s. Although there were some signs of recovery in the wholesale/retail, accommodation, and construction sectors, it was not enough to offset the overall sluggish employment.

According to the "February 2025 Employment Trends in Gwangju and Jeonnam" released by the Honam Regional Statistics Office on the 12th, Gwangju's employment rate in February was 59.8%, down 1.0 percentage point from the same month last year. The number of employed people was 764,000, a decrease of 14,000. The number of unemployed increased by 1,000 to 27,000, and the unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage point to 3.4%.

By industry, the number of employed people decreased in construction, wholesale/retail, accommodation, and restaurant sectors. The electricity, transportation, communications, and finance sectors also saw a decrease of 8,000. On the other hand, business, personal, and public services increased slightly by 2,000.

Employment trends also varied by age group. The employment rate for those aged 15 to 64 fell by 1.1 percentage points to 64.9%. In particular, job losses were pronounced among the youth and those in their 40s.

The economically inactive population increased by 11,000 to 487,000. While the number of people taking a break from economic activity due to childcare and studies decreased, the number classified as "just resting" increased.

Jeonnam also experienced deteriorating employment conditions. The employment rate in February was 64.8%, down 0.3 percentage point from the same month last year. The number of employed people was 983,000, a decrease of 8,000. The number of unemployed increased by 6,000 to 33,000, and the unemployment rate rose by 0.6 percentage point to 3.2%.

By industry, the number of employed people increased in wholesale/retail, accommodation, and restaurant sectors (15,000) and construction (6,000). However, there were decreases in business, personal, and public services (-19,000), agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (-6,000), and electricity, transportation, communications, and finance (-2,000).

The employment rate for those aged 15 to 64 fell by 0.3 percentage point to 69.6%. The economically active population was similar to last year, but the economically inactive population decreased by 1,000 to 503,000.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.