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| ▲ This file photo, taken March 16, 2022, shows information about job postings at the government office of Gwangjin Ward in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This file photo, taken March 16, 2022, shows a jobseeker looking at employment information at a state-run job arrangement center in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) jobless rate-March
(LEAD) Job growth slows in March amid upsurge in COVID-19 cases
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout; ADDS photo)
By Kim Soo-yeon
SEOUL, April 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported job additions for the 13th consecutive month in March, but job growth slowed from the previous month as employment in in-person services was hit by the upsurge in COVID-19 cases, data showed Wednesday.
The number of employed people came to 27.75 million last month, up 831,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
The number of employed people has increased every month since March last year. But the March tally was lower than an on-year increase of 1.14 million in January and 1.04 million in February.
The statistics agency said the trend of job growth has been extended, but uncertainty about the job market remains high.
The South Korean economy has been on a recovery track on the back of robust exports. But it has faced heightened economic uncertainty amid the fast spread of the omicron variant and surging energy costs caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Job data pointed to overall improvements in line with the economic recovery. But employment in face-to-face service segments, such as accommodations and retailers, declined on-year amid the omicron wave.
The employment rate of people aged 15 and older rose 1.6 percentage points on-year to 61.4 percent last month. It marked the highest rate for any March since the statistics agency began compiling related data in 1982.
The number of economically inactive people -- those who are neither working nor actively seeking jobs or people outside the labor force -- reached 16.6 million in March, down 277,000 from a year earlier. It marked the 13th consecutive month of an on-year fall.
The jobless rate fell 1.3 percentage points on-year to 3 percent last month. The number of unemployed people declined 342,000 on-year to 873,000.
By sector, the accommodation and food service segment reported job losses last month after three straight months of on-year gains. The sector saw the number of employed people fall 20,000 on-year in March.
The wholesale and retail sector also reported an on-year drop in jobs of 32,000.
The number of permanent workers grew 811,000 in March on-year, and that of temporary workers rose 166,000. But the number of day laborers fell 172,000 on-year, marking the 11th straight month of decline.
The Bank of Korea forecast the number of employed people to increase 280,000 this year.
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