Private-sector employment expected to pick up in 2026: BOK

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Published: 07 Jan. 2026, 14:38 Updated: 07 Jan. 2026, 18:14

Jobseekers visit an employment information center in Seoul on Dec. 15, 2025. [YONHAP]

Private-sector employment is expected to rise this year from a year earlier, supported by an improvement in private consumption, the central bank said Wednesday.

Total employment in Korea is projected to rise by 150,000 in 2026, with 60,000 of those jobs coming from the private sector, according to a report released by the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It compares with an estimated increase of 180,000 jobs in 2025, including 50,000 in the private sector.

The government's official job market data is available through November 2025, and full-year statistics have yet to be released.

Private-sector job growth has remained sluggish since 2024 due to a downturn in the construction sector, though it has shown signs of recovery since the third quarter of 2025.

The BOK added that private-sector employment tends to be more closely correlated with domestic demand and core inflation than total employment.

Yonhap