Koreans in their 20s and 30s struggle to gain employment amid shortage of stable jobs
Published: 14 Dec. 2025, 16:50
Updated: 14 Dec. 2025, 18:10
![A job seeker looks over recruitment information at a job fair held at Busan City Hall in Yeonje District, Busan, on Nov. 10. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/14/aee46af1-44e8-4f62-ae16-25c31389b045.jpg)
A job seeker looks over recruitment information at a job fair held at Busan City Hall in Yeonje District, Busan, on Nov. 10. [NEWS1]
A growing number of Koreans in their 20s and 30s are struggling to enter the work force, pushed to the margins by a shortage of stable jobs, as well as hiring practices that favor prior experience.
In November, nearly 1.6 million people in their 20s and 30s were either unemployed, not actively seeking work or preparing for employment, according to government data released Sunday. The figure reached 1.6 million, up 28,000 from a year earlier, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said.
It was the highest level in four years, since November 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the number climbed to nearly 1.74 million. The data point to a widening gap between young adults who want to work and the number of jobs available to them.
Those outside the labor market made up 12.7 percent of the population aged 20 to 39, which totals about 12.54 million people. That share was the highest in four years, approaching the 13 percent recorded in 2021.
Analysts say that gaining a first job has become increasingly delayed for people in their 20s, while stable jobs are taking longer to secure for those in their 30s. As of November, 359,000 people in their 20s and 30s were unemployed, up 22,000 from a year earlier.
Among economically inactive people in this age group, 719,000 were classified as “resting,” meaning they were not actively seeking work. That was the highest level since the government began compiling related statistics in 2003. Another 511,000 were preparing for employment.
The trend is particularly pronounced among people in their early 30s. In November, the number of people aged 30 to 34 who were unemployed, resting or preparing for employment totaled 386,000, up 38,000 from a year earlier. Their share of the total population in that age group rose to 10.6 percent, returning to double digits for the first time in four years, since 10.1 percent in November 2021.
![A job seeker looks at listings at a job center in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Dec. 10. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/14/4db4540b-2f4e-4299-b994-210e29b23ea3.jpg)
A job seeker looks at listings at a job center in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Dec. 10. [YONHAP]
Across all people in their 30s, the combined total of the unemployed, resting and job seekers preparing for employment reached 620,000, an increase of 45,000 from a year earlier. Among those in their 20s, the figure remained high at 970,000, although it had fallen by 17,000 year on year.
While incomes for young adults have stagnated amid unstable employment, housing costs and interest payments have risen, leading to a decline in disposable funds for people in their 20s and 30s for the first time in three years.
According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the average monthly household surplus for heads of households aged 39 or younger stood at 1.24 million won ($840) in the third quarter, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier. It marked the first decline in three years, since a 3.8 percent drop in the third quarter of 2022.
This contrasted with the overall average household surplus of nearly 1.44 million won, which rose 12.2 percent over the same period. Household surplus refers to the amount remaining after subtracting nonconsumption expenditures such as taxes and interest payments, as well as consumption expenditure, including food and housing costs, from household income. A decline in surplus means less money available for savings or investment, making it harder to build assets.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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