Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment in Korea
Korea: Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment was 28.45 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment in Korea, 1963–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Analysis
In 2025, economic outlook no 114 — total employment in Korea stood at 28.45 million. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, economic outlook no 114 — total employment in Korea peaked at 28.45 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7.56 million, in 1963.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment in Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 7.56 million | — |
| 1964 | 7.70 million | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 8.11 million | +5.4% |
| 1966 | 8.32 million | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 8.62 million | +3.6% |
| 1968 | 9.06 million | +5.1% |
| 1969 | 9.29 million | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 9.62 million | +3.6% |
| 1971 | 9.95 million | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 10.38 million | +4.4% |
| 1973 | 10.94 million | +5.4% |
| 1974 | 11.42 million | +4.4% |
| 1975 | 11.69 million | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 12.41 million | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 12.81 million | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 13.41 million | +4.7% |
| 1979 | 13.60 million | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 13.68 million | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 14.02 million | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 14.38 million | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 14.51 million | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 14.43 million | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 14.97 million | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 15.51 million | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 16.35 million | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 16.87 million | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 17.55 million | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 18.08 million | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 18.65 million | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 19.01 million | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 19.23 million | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 19.85 million | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 20.41 million | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 20.85 million | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 21.21 million | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 19.91 million | -6.1% |
| 1999 | 20.36 million | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 21.17 million | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 21.61 million | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 22.23 million | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 22.22 million | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 22.68 million | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 22.83 million | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 23.19 million | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 23.56 million | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 23.77 million | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 23.69 million | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 24.03 million | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 24.52 million | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 24.95 million | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 25.30 million | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 25.90 million | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 26.18 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 26.41 million | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 26.73 million | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 26.82 million | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 27.12 million | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 26.91 million | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 27.27 million | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 28.09 million | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 28.40 million | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 28.39 million | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 28.45 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.38 million | 7.56 million | 9.29 million | 7 |
| 1970s | 11.62 million | 9.62 million | 13.60 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.23 million | 13.68 million | 17.55 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.76 million | 18.08 million | 21.21 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.70 million | 21.17 million | 23.77 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.80 million | 24.03 million | 27.12 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.92 million | 26.91 million | 28.45 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More economy & growth data for Korea
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.03 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 16 - Public finances 24.21 Percentage of GDP (2029)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness 0.2301 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — A. 0.0475 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — B. Openess 0.0121 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — C. Trust 0.064 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — D. 0.0485 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — E. Wider 0.058 Index (2024)
- Corporate income tax (CIT) - statutory and targeted small business 27.5 Percentage of taxable income (2026)
Frequently asked questions
- What is economic outlook no 114 — total employment in Korea?
- Economic outlook no 114 — total employment in Korea was 28.45 million in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest economic outlook no 114 — total employment recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 28.45 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest economic outlook no 114 — total employment recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.56 million in 1963.
- How does Korea rank for economic outlook no 114 — total employment?
- Korea ranks 1st out of 3 groups with data for 2025.
- Is economic outlook no 114 — total employment rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Economic Outlook No 114 — Total employment (labour force survey basis). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The OECD Economic Outlook presents the OECD’s analysis of the major global economic trends and prospects for the next two years. The Outlook puts forward a consistent set of projections for output, employment, government spending, prices and current balances based on a review of each member country and of the induced effect on each of them on international developments. EO114 Database inventory EO114 Last historical points OECD Economic Outlook website: https://www.oecd.org/economic-outlook/ Contact: eco.outlook@oecd.org