Number of wage jobs rises 292,000 in Q1, driven by health and welfare sectors

Korea added 292,000 wage jobs in the first quarter of 2026, driven by gains in the health and social welfare, accommodation and food service sectors, while manufacturing and construction lost ground, official data showed Monday.

The number of salaried jobs stood at 20.82 million as of February, up 292,000 from a year earlier, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said.

According to the latest findings, 74 percent of the jobs were held by the same workers as a year earlier, while 15.3 percent were filled by new workers after the previous jobholders retired or changed jobs.

The report showed 10.7 percent of the jobs were newly created following the establishment of new businesses or business expansions.

By sector, jobs in health and social welfare rose by 127,000, while those in accommodation and food services increased by 59,000.

In contrast, manufacturing wage jobs declined by 1,000, and those in the construction industry dropped by 52,000.

Within the manufacturing sector, the chip industry added 5,000 wage jobs, while the textile dyeing segment gave up 3,000. The communications and broadcasting equipment industry also saw 2,000 jobs lost.

By age group, wage jobs for people in their 20s and younger fell by 76,000, while those for people in their 40s declined by 19,000.

Wage jobs for people in their 60s and older, 30s, and 50s increased by 233,000, 115,000 and 40,000, respectively.

Yonhap