(2nd LD) jobless rate-October tally

(ATTN: ADDS details throughout)

By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea added 139,000 jobs in October from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, with job growth exceeding the 100,000 mark for the fourth consecutive month.

The number of employed people came to 29.17 million in October, compared with 29.04 million a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Job growth turned positive in June after declining by 40,000 in May, the first drop in 17 months.

The country's jobless rate came to 2 percent last month, down 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier.

The number of unemployed people totaled 602,000 in October, down 56,000 from the same month in 2025.

The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 came to 70.4 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier.

The figure for those aged 15 to 29, on the other hand, fell 1.7 percentage points to 42.9 percent, marking the 30th consecutive month of decline.

The number of employed people in the age group fell by 196,000 from a year earlier, marking the 48th month in a row it decreased.

By sector, manufacturing employment fell by 7,000 jobs, while the construction sector shed 42,000 jobs.

"(Manufacturing employment) declined slightly due to job losses in the textile, automobile and clothing industries," said Bin Hyun-joon, a senior statistics official.

"While it is difficult to determine whether the previous month's gain was temporary, manufacturing has maintained a stable trend in terms of industrial output," he added.

The accommodation and restaurant sector saw a decline of 137,000 jobs, marking the sharpest drop since February 2021, when the sector lost 232,000 jobs. The ministry attributed the decline partly to the impact of the government's consumption coupon program, which boosted employment in the sector last year.

The agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector reported a decrease of 101,000 jobs.

The health care and social welfare sector, on the other hand, added 249,000 jobs, while the transportation sector gained 48,000 jobs.

The number of economically inactive people rose by 179,000 from a year earlier to 16.29 million. The number of people who reported taking a break without seeking work, meanwhile, fell by 69,000 to 2.51 million.

"Jobs are the most important path and lifeline through which the benefits of export-driven economic growth reach the domestic economy and people's lives," First Vice Finance Minister Kwon Dae-young said during a meeting with employment-related ministers.

"We will prioritize improving employment conditions for vulnerable groups," he added. "Relevant ministries will work together to develop job creation projects and ensure that this year's projects are completed without disruptions while preparing for next year."

(END)

[Copyright ⓒ K-VIBE. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited.]