Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Korea
Korea: Employment by main economic activity - Regions was 28.89 million Persons in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Korea, 1998–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.
Analysis
In 2025, employment by main economic activity - regions in Korea stood at 28.89 million Persons. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by main economic activity - regions in Korea peaked at 28.89 million Persons in 2025 and was at its lowest, 20.17 million Persons, in 1998.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Employment by main economic activity - Regions in Korea, year by year
| Year | Persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 20.17 million Persons | — |
| 1999 | 20.53 million Persons | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 21.40 million Persons | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 21.82 million Persons | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 22.43 million Persons | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 22.39 million Persons | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 22.82 million Persons | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 23.12 million Persons | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 23.42 million Persons | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 23.70 million Persons | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 23.85 million Persons | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 23.86 million Persons | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 24.05 million Persons | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 24.32 million Persons | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 25.00 million Persons | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 25.54 million Persons | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 25.95 million Persons | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 26.30 million Persons | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 26.58 million Persons | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 27.03 million Persons | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 27.09 million Persons | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 27.04 million Persons | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 27.09 million Persons | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 27.74 million Persons | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 28.42 million Persons | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 28.43 million Persons | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 28.69 million Persons | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 28.89 million Persons | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.35 million Persons | 20.17 million Persons | 20.53 million Persons | 2 |
| 2000s | 22.88 million Persons | 21.40 million Persons | 23.86 million Persons | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.89 million Persons | 24.05 million Persons | 27.09 million Persons | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.21 million Persons | 27.09 million Persons | 28.89 million Persons | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
- 1 United States of America 158.01 million Persons compare
- 2 Mexico 58.94 million Persons compare
- 3 Germany 45.99 million Persons compare
- 4 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 33.43 million Persons compare
- 5 France 30.62 million Persons compare
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 employment by main economic activity - regions in Korea?
- Employment by main economic activity - regions in Korea was 28.89 million Persons in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 28.89 million Persons in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.17 million Persons in 1998.
- How does Korea rank for employment by main economic activity - regions?
- Korea ranks 2nd out of 3 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment by main economic activity - regions rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. 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 Employment by main economic activity - Regions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This dataset provides indicators on employment by 10 broad activities and labour utilisation, in large regions (TL2) and small regions (TL3). Data source and definition Employment data is collected from Eurostat for EU countries and via delegates of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Indicators (WPTI), as well as from national statistical offices' websites. Employment is measured at place of work. Labour utilisation is measured by the number of employment at place of work per capita, for total activity. See the Regional data sources. Definition of regions Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). See the OECD Territorial grid. Use of economic data on small regions TL3 regions are grouped into typologies based on shared characteristics. For economic analysis, TL3 regions belonging to the same Functional Urban Area (FUA) with more than 250,000 inhabitants are aggregated into a single metropolitan region to reduce distortions from commuting. See the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table. Cite this dataset OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats. Further information OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance For questions and/or comments, please email RegionStat@oecd.org.