As the preference for experienced workers and the rise of irregular hiring make it increasingly difficult for young people to find jobs, more than half of recent graduates are remaining unemployed for over a year. The proportion of long-term unemployed youth has also reached a record high.
According to the 'May 2026 Economic Activity Population Survey for Youth' released by the National Data Agency on July 23, the population aged 15 to 29 decreased by 152,000 from the same month last year, totaling 7.822 million.
The youth participation rate in economic activities fell to 47.2%, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points from the previous year. During the same period, the number of employed youth dropped by 255,000 to 3.427 million, resulting in an employment rate of 43.8%, down 2.4 percentage points.
As of May this year, the number of graduates aged 15 to 29 was 4.003 million, a decrease of 171,000 from the previous year. Among them, 2.76 million were employed, down 202,000, while the number of unemployed increased by 31,000 to 1.244 million.
The number of young people who have not found jobs after graduation is steadily rising. The proportion of youth unemployed for over a year has increased by 2.0 percentage points from the same period last year to 48.6%.
Kim Rak-hyun, head of the Employment Statistics Division at the Data Agency, noted, "This is the highest rate since the 51.7% recorded during the global financial crisis in 2009," adding that the increase in the proportion of four-year college graduates has lengthened the time it takes to graduate, and the rise in the number of students taking leaves of absence for employment or qualification exams has contributed to this trend.
The percentage of youth who have been unemployed for three years or more has also risen. As of May, the unemployment rate among young people stood at 19.4%, the highest since the relevant statistics began in 2007.
The average time taken for college graduates to complete their studies has increased by 1.3 months from the previous year, now totaling 4 years and 5.7 months. The proportion of graduates with work experience after graduation has dropped to 84.8%, the lowest since 2004.
Kim added, "In May, the youth participation rate and employment rate declined, while the unemployment rate increased. The time taken for young people to graduate from college has lengthened, and the proportion of graduates with work experience has decreased."
As the job market remains challenging, young people are increasingly turning their attention to civil service exams. Among the economically inactive population, 600,000 were preparing for employment exams in the past week, with 22.1% of them focusing on general civil service positions. This marks a 3.9 percentage point increase from the previous year, indicating a shift in trend after five years.
Kim explained, "The proportion of those preparing for general civil service positions has rebounded after five years, likely due to improvements in the treatment of lower-level civil servants, which has led to an increase in applicants and exam participation rates."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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