Seoul: The number of wage workers in South Korea increased at a slower pace during the fourth quarter of 2024, as the loss of youth employment counterbalanced the growth in jobs for the elderly, data from the statistical office indicated on Wednesday. The total number of wage and salary worker jobs reached 20,902,000 in the October-December quarter, reflecting an increase of 153,000 compared to the previous year, according to Statistics Korea.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the fourth-quarter growth was notably smaller than the expansion of 246,000 jobs recorded in the third quarter, marking the lowest increase since the data began being collected in 2018. The number of paid workers aged 60 and older saw a significant rise of 248,000 during this period. Meanwhile, those in their 50s and 30s experienced increases of 70,000 and 67,000, respectively.

In contrast, the figures for individuals in their 40s and under-20s saw declines, with reductions of 84,000 and 148,000, respectively. Additionally, while jobs in the health and social welfare industry increased by 140,000 during the quarter, the construction and real estate sectors experienced decreases of 109,000 and 9,000 jobs, respectively.