Labour force participation in South Korea
The ILO estimates that 64.4% of people aged 15 and over in South Korea were in the labour force in 2025.
South Korea, 2025
64.4%
Change from 2024
−0.1percentage points
World, 2025
60.8%
Median of OECD (38 countries), 2025
61.6%
Position in 2025
70th of 181
Labour force participation in South Korea over time
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South Korea
World
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of working-age population aged 15 and over. Source: ILO, ILOSTAT (ILO Modelled Estimates). Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years. Dashed lines are projections.
| Period | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64.4% | 60.8% |
| 2024 | 64.5% | 61.0% |
| 2023 | 64.3% | 61.0% |
| 2022 | 63.8% | 60.7% |
| 2021 | 62.6% | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 62.3% | 59.7% |
| 2019 | 63.0% | 61.0% |
| 2018 | 62.8% | 61.2% |
| 2017 | 62.9% | 61.3% |
| 2016 | 62.6% | 61.5% |
Flags: f Projection . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of −0.1 percentage points from 64.5% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 62.6%, the figure has changed by +1.8 percentage points.
- Among the 181 countries with data for 2025, South Korea has the 70th highest value.
- The figure for the world in 2025 was 60.8%.
More for South Korea
All statistics for South Korea
Women's labour force participation
56.8%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Employment-to-population ratio
62.6%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of the unemployment rate
2.7%
2025 · ILOSTAT
ILO estimate of youth unemployment
6.7%
2025 · ILOSTAT
OECD monthly unemployment rate
2.6%
September 2026 · OECD
Employment in agriculture
5.1%
2025 · World Bank