"It's Hard to Take the First Step into Society"... Number of Employed in Late 20s Hits Nine-Year Low

Largest Decline in Information and Communications, Professional and Scientific Sectors in 12 Years for the Month

The employment situation is deteriorating, with the number of employed people in their late 20s hitting the lowest level in nine years and the employment rate continuing to decline.

Job seekers line up to receive career counseling at a job fair held in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yongjun Cho jun21@

According to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ National Statistics Portal (KOSIS) and employment trends released on March 22, the number of employed individuals aged 25 to 29 in February stood at 2,346,000, down by 62,000 from the same month last year. This is the lowest figure for February since 2017, when the number was 2,245,000, marking a nine-year low.

While the decline in the youth population has played a role, the employment rate has also continued its downward trend. Last month, the employment rate for people in their late 20s was 70.4%, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points. This is the lowest rate for February in four years, matching the 70.4% recorded in 2022.

By sector, the decrease was particularly pronounced in information and communications, as well as professional, scientific, and technical services. The information and communications sector saw its largest decline since 2014, while the professional, scientific, and technical services sector experienced a decline for the second consecutive year. Some analysts suggest that the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) may have led to a contraction in entry-level hiring for professional jobs such as accountants and lawyers, compared to previous years.

Changes in corporate hiring practices also appear to have had an impact. With a growing preference for experienced employees who can immediately take on practical tasks, entry-level hiring has decreased, thereby delaying the labor market entry of young people. In fact, there is a growing trend of people landing their first job in their early 30s. This has resulted in longer job search periods, leaving many young people in a "waiting for employment" status.

Even among those in their early 20s, the perceived unemployment rate remains high. Last month, the extended unemployment rate (Employment Supplementary Index 3) for youth aged 15 to 29 reached 17.4%, up 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier. This index has risen for two consecutive months since January. Employment Supplementary Index 3 is calculated by including "additional hours available for work" among the employed (those who are close to being unemployed in terms of working hours), "potential labor force" among the economically inactive population who have looked for work in the past four weeks but were not available for employment during the survey week, and "potential job seekers" among the economically inactive population who did not look for work in the past four weeks but were both available for and desired employment during the survey week. Moreover, looking at the "Employment Trends for February 2026," the number of employed people increased among those aged 60 and over, those in their 30s, and those in their 50s, but only among those in their 20s did the number of employed people decrease significantly.

The government is also closely monitoring youth employment. It is reported that a job support program for young people, who are considered a vulnerable group in the labor market, is being discussed for inclusion in the upcoming supplementary budget proposal.

However, for those in their 30s, the employment situation is favorable, with the number of employed people rising significantly relative to population growth and the employment rate increasing.

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