One in three young people who are unemployed reported difficulty finding desired jobs. This trend is also prevalent among those in their 30s, with the percentage of respondents citing this reason increasing by 5 percentage points over the past year. However, the total number of unemployed individuals has decreased by more than 80,000 compared to the previous year.
According to the National Data Agency's report on the 'August 2026 Economic Activity Population Survey on Non-Economic Population and Non-Wage Workers' released on November 4, the non-economic population stood at 16.297 million as of August this year, an increase of 77,000 from the previous year. The proportion of the non-economic population among those aged 15 and older remained steady at 35.4% compared to the same month last year. The non-economic population refers to individuals aged 15 and older who are not employed and are not actively seeking work.
Among this group, the number of unemployed individuals was 2.551 million, a decrease of 89,000 from the same month last year. This group accounted for 15.7% of the total non-economic population, down 0.6 percentage points.
By age group, the number of unemployed individuals in their 20s decreased by 58,000 to 377,000, while those in their 30s fell by 25,000 to 303,000. The number of unemployed individuals in their 40s and 50s also declined by 10,000 and 57,000, respectively. In contrast, the number of unemployed individuals aged 60 and older increased by 15,000 to 966,000, and those aged 70 and above rose by 39,000 to 257,000.
The reasons for unemployment varied by age. Among those aged 15 to 29, 35.2% cited difficulty finding desired jobs as the primary reason. Similarly, 32.3% of respondents in their 30s reported the same issue, marking a 5.0 percentage point increase from the previous year.
In other age groups, health issues were the most common reason for unemployment. Overall, health problems accounted for 34.4% of the reasons for being unemployed, followed by 'having resigned or retired and continuing to be unemployed' at 19.9%, and 'difficulty finding desired jobs' at 18.9%.
Looking ahead, 3.24 million individuals, or 19.9% of the total non-economic population, expressed intentions to seek employment or start a business within the next year. This figure represents a decrease of 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. The intention to seek employment or start a business was highest among those in their 30s (47.1%), followed by those in their 20s (43.1%), 40s (34.3%), and 50s (26.7%).
The combined total of self-employed individuals and unpaid family workers, referred to as 'non-wage workers,' reached 6.625 million, an increase of 71,000 from the previous year. This group accounted for 22.7% of all employed individuals, up 0.1 percentage points.
The number of self-employed individuals with employees was 1.481 million, an increase of 47,000, while those without employees rose by 62,000 to 4.303 million. Unpaid family workers decreased by 37,000 to 841,000.
By industry, the number of non-wage workers increased by 75,000 in retail, but decreased by 94,000 in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and by 47,000 in accommodation and food services.
Among self-employed individuals who started their businesses within the past year, 70.8% cited the desire to manage their own business as their primary motivation. Additionally, 21.7% indicated that difficulty finding wage employment was a factor. Common challenges faced when starting a business included acquiring business information and management know-how (28.4%) and securing funding (24.1%).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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