South Korea Unemployment Rate, Employment & Labor Force Survey (Monthly)
Monthly Economically Active Population Survey (Labor Force Survey) compiled by Statistics Korea (KOSTAT): Working-Age Population (15+), Economically Active Population, Employed Persons, Unemployed Persons, Unemployment Rate (%), Labor Force Participation Rate (%), and Employment Rate (%) — Seasonally Adjusted and Original.
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| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | 06-2025 | 05-2025 | 04-2025 | 03-2025 | 02-2025 | 01-2025 | 12-2024 | 11-2024 | 10-2024 | 09-2024 | 08-2024 | 07-2024 | 06-2024 | 05-2024 | 04-2024 | 03-2024 | 02-2024 | 01-2024 | 12-2023 | 11-2023 | 10-2023 | 09-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonally Adjusted4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unemployment Rate (SA) | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | |
| Employment Rate (15+, SA) | 62.9 | 62.9 | 62.7 | 62.6 | 62.5 | 62.7 | 63 | 63 | 62.8 | 62.7 | 62.9 | 62.9 | 63.1 | 62.8 | 62.8 | 62.8 | 62.9 | 62.9 | 62.9 | 62.9 | 62.8 | 62.5 | 62.7 | 62.7 | 62.7 | 62.7 | 62.7 | 62.7 | 62.6 | 62.8 | 62.7 | 62.8 | 62.8 | 62.8 | 62.7 | 62.8 | 62.7 | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate (SA) | 64.6 | 64.6 | 64.6 | 64.4 | 64.3 | 64.5 | 64.8 | 64.9 | 64.7 | 64.8 | 64.7 | 64.6 | 64.8 | 64.6 | 64.5 | 64.6 | 64.7 | 64.7 | 64.7 | 64.7 | 64.6 | 64.5 | 64.5 | 64.5 | 64.4 | 64.4 | 64.4 | 64.5 | 64.5 | 64.7 | 64.5 | 64.6 | 64.6 | 64.6 | 64.5 | 64.4 | 64.4 | |
| Economically Active Population (SA)2 | 29,751 | 29,758 | 29,708 | 29,616 | 29,576 | 29,653 | 29,754 | 29,833 | 29,714 | 29,723 | 29,658 | 29,602 | 29,678 | 29,570 | 29,530 | 29,533 | 29,583 | 29,592 | 29,584 | 29,547 | 29,515 | 29,468 | 29,433 | 29,439 | 29,365 | 29,352 | 29,352 | 29,373 | 29,366 | 29,447 | 29,384 | 29,391 | 29,381 | 29,383 | 29,329 | 29,289 | 29,272 | |
| Employed Persons (SA) | 28,985 | 28,944 | 28,862 | 28,809 | 28,743 | 28,838 | 28,955 | 28,956 | 28,816 | 28,747 | 28,831 | 28,798 | 28,882 | 28,754 | 28,747 | 28,742 | 28,777 | 28,780 | 28,751 | 28,720 | 28,702 | 28,549 | 28,617 | 28,613 | 28,589 | 28,578 | 28,567 | 28,555 | 28,532 | 28,610 | 28,568 | 28,589 | 28,560 | 28,564 | 28,497 | 28,534 | 28,465 | |
| Unemployed Persons (SA) | 767 | 813 | 846 | 807 | 833 | 816 | 799 | 877 | 899 | 976 | 827 | 804 | 796 | 816 | 783 | 792 | 806 | 813 | 833 | 827 | 813 | 918 | 816 | 827 | 775 | 774 | 785 | 818 | 834 | 837 | 816 | 802 | 821 | 819 | 832 | 755 | 807 | |
| Original Series (Unadjusted)6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Population Aged 15 & Over (Original) | 46,055 | 46,036 | 46,015 | 45,997 | 45,984 | 45,966 | 45,950 | 45,942 | 45,914 | 45,874 | 45,848 | 45,819 | 45,797 | 45,779 | 45,758 | 45,743 | 45,734 | 45,720 | 45,708 | 45,694 | 45,674 | 45,653 | 45,628 | 45,607 | 45,590 | 45,576 | 45,590 | 45,550 | 45,543 | 45,539 | 45,529 | 45,525 | 45,514 | 45,505 | 45,476 | 45,452 | 45,431 | |
| Economically Active Population (Original)2 | 29,866 | 29,739 | 29,912 | 29,988 | 29,998 | 29,813 | 29,679 | 29,406 | 29,197 | 29,426 | 29,706 | 29,698 | 29,788 | 29,559 | 29,754 | 29,915 | 30,012 | 29,741 | 29,507 | 29,119 | 28,961 | 29,156 | 29,477 | 29,525 | 29,464 | 29,365 | 29,594 | 29,764 | 29,799 | 29,578 | 29,288 | 28,957 | 28,815 | 29,037 | 29,375 | 29,390 | 29,359 | |
| Employed Persons (Original) | 29,266 | 29,151 | 29,136 | 29,154 | 29,120 | 28,961 | 28,795 | 28,413 | 27,986 | 28,209 | 29,046 | 29,040 | 29,154 | 28,967 | 29,029 | 29,091 | 29,160 | 28,887 | 28,589 | 28,179 | 27,878 | 28,041 | 28,821 | 28,847 | 28,842 | 28,801 | 28,857 | 28,907 | 28,915 | 28,693 | 28,396 | 28,043 | 27,743 | 28,093 | 28,698 | 28,764 | 28,698 | |
| Unemployed Persons (Original) | 600 | 588 | 776 | 834 | 878 | 853 | 884 | 993 | 1,211 | 1,217 | 661 | 658 | 635 | 592 | 726 | 825 | 853 | 854 | 918 | 940 | 1,083 | 1,115 | 656 | 678 | 622 | 564 | 737 | 857 | 884 | 885 | 892 | 915 | 1,072 | 944 | 677 | 627 | 661 | |
| Not Economically Active Population (Original) | 16,188 | 16,297 | 16,103 | 16,009 | 15,986 | 16,152 | 16,271 | 16,536 | 16,717 | 16,448 | 16,142 | 16,121 | 16,009 | 16,220 | 16,004 | 15,828 | 15,722 | 15,979 | 16,201 | 16,575 | 16,713 | 16,498 | 16,151 | 16,082 | 16,125 | 16,211 | 15,996 | 15,786 | 15,744 | 15,961 | 16,242 | 16,568 | 16,699 | 16,468 | 16,101 | 16,062 | 16,071 | |
| Unemployment Rate (Original) | 2 | 2 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.3 | |
| Employment Rate (15+, Original) | 63.5 | 63.3 | 63.3 | 63.4 | 63.3 | 63 | 62.7 | 61.8 | 61 | 61.5 | 63.4 | 63.4 | 63.7 | 63.3 | 63.4 | 63.6 | 63.8 | 63.2 | 62.5 | 61.7 | 61 | 61.4 | 63.2 | 63.3 | 63.3 | 63.2 | 63.3 | 63.5 | 63.5 | 63 | 62.4 | 61.6 | 61 | 61.7 | 63.1 | 63.3 | 63.2 | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate (Original) | 64.8 | 64.6 | 65 | 65.2 | 65.2 | 64.9 | 64.6 | 64 | 63.6 | 64.1 | 64.8 | 64.8 | 65 | 64.6 | 65 | 65.4 | 65.6 | 65.1 | 64.6 | 63.7 | 63.4 | 63.9 | 64.6 | 64.7 | 64.6 | 64.4 | 64.9 | 65.3 | 65.4 | 65 | 64.3 | 63.6 | 63.3 | 63.8 | 64.6 | 64.7 | 64.6 |
Latest reading
The series on this page is monthly and runs from Jun 1999 to Sep 2026.
About this data
Monthly Economically Active Population Survey (Labor Force Survey) compiled by Statistics Korea (KOSTAT): Working-Age Population (15+), Economically Active Population, Employed Persons, Unemployed Persons, Unemployment Rate (%), Labor Force Participation Rate (%), and Employment Rate (%) — Seasonally Adjusted and Original.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the latest figure for South Korea Unemployment Rate, Employment & Labor Force Survey (Monthly)?
- Unemployment Rate (SA) stood at 2.6% in Sep 2026. That is −0.1 pp from Aug 2026 and −0.1 pp from a year earlier.
- Is South Korea Unemployment Rate, Employment & Labor Force Survey (Monthly) at a high or a low right now?
- The reading of 2.6% is the lowest since Sep 2024.
- How far back does the South Korea Unemployment Rate, Employment & Labor Force Survey (Monthly) data go?
- The series on this page is monthly and runs from Jun 1999 to Sep 2026. Every series in the table can be charted over its full history and downloaded as CSV or Excel.