Employment Insurance Subscribers Rise by Over 200,000 for Third Straight Month... Construction Sector Declines for 32 Months

March Employment Administration Statistics Show Labor Market Trends
Number of Workers Under 29 Falls by 65,000, Highlighting Continued Weakness Among Youth

The number of regular employment insurance subscribers increased by 269,000 last month, continuing a trend of monthly increases in the upper 200,000 range for the third consecutive month.

According to the "March 2026 Labor Market Trends Based on Employment Administration Statistics" released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on April 13, the number of regular employment insurance subscribers last month was 15,704,000, an increase of 269,000 (1.7%) compared to the same month last year.

The number of employment insurance subscribers had remained in the 100,000 range last year, but since the beginning of this year, it has recorded increases in the upper 200,000 range for three consecutive months.

On the 27th, job seekers participating in the '2026 Public Institution Job Fair' held at the aT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, visited the National Health Insurance Service to obtain employment information. January 27, 2026. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

By industry, the service sector led the overall growth with an increase of 280,000 subscribers. Most sectors saw their increases expand, including health and welfare services (120,000), accommodation and food services (51,000), business services (28,000), and professional and scientific technical services (23,000).

Manufacturing continued to decline for the tenth consecutive month, but the decrease was limited to about 5,000. Some segments, such as food, electronics and telecommunications, and other transportation equipment, saw increases.

The construction industry also posted a decrease for the 32nd consecutive month, but the decline was narrowed to 9,000. In manufacturing, the number of subscribers decreased by 12,000 in January and 11,000 in February of this year.

By age group, the number of subscribers aged 29 and under declined by 65,000, indicating continued stagnation among the youth. In contrast, those aged 60 and older increased by 208,000, those in their 30s rose by 88,000, and those in their 50s increased by 47,000. The number of subscribers in their 40s decreased by 9,000.

The number of new job openings was 171,000, up by 17,000 (+11.2%). New job seekers totaled 477,000, a decrease of 3,000 (-0.7%). Last month's job opening ratio was 0.36, up from 0.32 in the same month last year. This was due to an increase in new job openings and a slight decrease in new job seekers.

The number of new applications for job-seeking benefits was 132,000, a decrease of 5,000, and the number of benefit recipients was 674,000, down by 19,000. However, the total amount paid increased by 27.2 billion won to 1.0783 trillion won.

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