Last month, the number of regular enrollees in employment insurance increased by 264,000, marking six consecutive months of growth in the high 200,000s. However, the manufacturing and construction sectors continue to experience declines, and the youth employment crisis persists.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's report on labor market trends based on June 2026 employment administrative statistics, the number of regular enrollees in employment insurance reached 15,855,000 at the end of last month, an increase of 264,000 compared to the same period last year. The increase in the number of enrollees has consistently been in the high 200,000s since January.
The growth in employment insurance enrollees was primarily driven by the service sector, which saw an increase of 279,000 workers (2.6%) year-on-year, bringing the total to 11,122,000. Most sectors, including health and welfare (112,000), accommodation and food services (55,000), and business services (26,000), reported growth.
Chun Kyung-ki, head of the Ministry's Future Employment Analysis Division, noted, "The increase in foreign tourists visiting since February, averaging 2 million per month, has significantly boosted the domestic industry more than expected."
In contrast, the manufacturing sector has seen a decline for 13 consecutive months, with a larger drop last month. The number of manufacturing enrollees fell by 9,000 to 3,839,000 compared to the previous year. The decline has been accelerating, with decreases of 2,200 (February), 3,900 (March), 6,600 (April), 8,400 (May), and 9,000 (June).
Within the manufacturing sector, the performance varied by industry. The semiconductor sector added 5,000 enrollees, while the electronics and communications sector saw an increase of 2,900. Additionally, the shipbuilding and other transportation equipment sectors have shown growth for 43 consecutive months. However, declines continued in textiles (-3,000), chemicals (-2,400), and metal processing (-3,700).
By gender, male enrollees numbered 8,660,000, an increase of 82,000, while female enrollees reached 7,194,000, up by 181,000. By age group, increases were seen among those in their 30s (82,000), 50s (41,000), and those aged 60 and over (206,000). However, there was a decrease among those aged 29 and under (-63,000) and those in their 40s (-2,000). The decline in youth enrollees has continued for 46 months since September 2022.
The number of new applicants for unemployment benefits was 90,000, an increase of 4,000 (4.5%) from the previous year. The number of beneficiaries was 635,000, down by 20,000 from the previous year, but the total payout increased by 231 billion won (2.2%) to 1.0747 trillion won.
The job vacancy ratio, which indicates the number of job openings per job seeker, rose to 0.48, up from 0.39 in the same month last year.
Meanwhile, the number of enrollees at Homeplus, which has suspended operations due to a lack of funds to maintain its stores, is also declining. Chun stated, "Currently, about 12,000 workers at Homeplus are enrolled in employment insurance, and the number has been decreasing by hundreds since January of this year."
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's report on labor market trends based on June 2026 employment administrative statistics, the number of regular enrollees in employment insurance reached 15,855,000 at the end of last month, an increase of 264,000 compared to the same period last year. The increase in the number of enrollees has consistently been in the high 200,000s since January.
The growth in employment insurance enrollees was primarily driven by the service sector, which saw an increase of 279,000 workers (2.6%) year-on-year, bringing the total to 11,122,000. Most sectors, including health and welfare (112,000), accommodation and food services (55,000), and business services (26,000), reported growth.
Chun Kyung-ki, head of the Ministry's Future Employment Analysis Division, noted, "The increase in foreign tourists visiting since February, averaging 2 million per month, has significantly boosted the domestic industry more than expected."
In contrast, the manufacturing sector has seen a decline for 13 consecutive months, with a larger drop last month. The number of manufacturing enrollees fell by 9,000 to 3,839,000 compared to the previous year. The decline has been accelerating, with decreases of 2,200 (February), 3,900 (March), 6,600 (April), 8,400 (May), and 9,000 (June).
Within the manufacturing sector, the performance varied by industry. The semiconductor sector added 5,000 enrollees, while the electronics and communications sector saw an increase of 2,900. Additionally, the shipbuilding and other transportation equipment sectors have shown growth for 43 consecutive months. However, declines continued in textiles (-3,000), chemicals (-2,400), and metal processing (-3,700).
By gender, male enrollees numbered 8,660,000, an increase of 82,000, while female enrollees reached 7,194,000, up by 181,000. By age group, increases were seen among those in their 30s (82,000), 50s (41,000), and those aged 60 and over (206,000). However, there was a decrease among those aged 29 and under (-63,000) and those in their 40s (-2,000). The decline in youth enrollees has continued for 46 months since September 2022.
The number of new applicants for unemployment benefits was 90,000, an increase of 4,000 (4.5%) from the previous year. The number of beneficiaries was 635,000, down by 20,000 from the previous year, but the total payout increased by 231 billion won (2.2%) to 1.0747 trillion won.
The job vacancy ratio, which indicates the number of job openings per job seeker, rose to 0.48, up from 0.39 in the same month last year.
Meanwhile, the number of enrollees at Homeplus, which has suspended operations due to a lack of funds to maintain its stores, is also declining. Chun stated, "Currently, about 12,000 workers at Homeplus are enrolled in employment insurance, and the number has been decreasing by hundreds since January of this year."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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