'I feel sorry toward my parents': Youth job market remains a needle's eye

Youth job seekers in South Korea are facing a worsening employment gap as the economy grows but young hiring weakens. Koo, a 28-year-old contract worker, is anxiously looking for a new job before his contract ends and says he feels sorry toward his parents. Government data showed the August employment rate for people aged 15 to 29 at 44.1 percent, down for a 28th straight month.

The number of employed young people fell by 143,000 from a year earlier, extending the decline to 46 consecutive months.

Real GDP grew 0.6 percent quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, while nominal GDP rose 26.4 percent from a year earlier, the largest increase in 47 years.

The Bank of Korea said the employment inducement coefficient fell to 7.8 in 2024 from 8.2 in 2023, indicating fewer jobs created per 1 billion won in final demand.

A Bank of Korea analysis found that 211,000 jobs for young people disappeared over the three years from July 2022 to July 2025, with 98.6 percent of the losses in industries highly exposed to AI.

Under its Youth Job Recovery Plan, the government pledged to train more than 300,000 skilled professionals by 2030 and create at least 300,000 jobs, while expecting about 90,000 jobs next year from the measures.

Published Sep 26, 2026 11:53 am KST

A jobseeker browses employment notices at a university in Seoul, Aug. 12. Yonhap

Koo, 28, who works on a contract basis at a large company, is growing anxious as the end of his contract approaches.

Since his position does not offer the possibility of becoming a regular employee, he knows he must secure a job during the second half of this year. Until now, he has applied only to companies he really wanted to work for, but he is now prepared to consider any employer, including startups.

“From what I can tell, the number of job postings this year seems to have fallen by half compared with last year,” Koo said. “I hate being compared with my cousins who have already found jobs, and I feel sorry toward my parents, so I don't want to go home for Chuseok.”

For young people preparing for employment, Chuseok is not necessarily a welcome holiday. While Korea's economy is said to have recorded its highest-ever growth rate, driven by semiconductor exports, the gateway to employment for young people has narrowed to a gap smaller than the eye of a needle, leaving them reluctant to face their families.

According to government data, the August employment rate among people aged 15 to 29 stood at 44.1 percent, marking its 28th consecutive month of decline. The number of employed young people fell by 143,000 from a year earlier, extending the downward trend to 46 consecutive months.

Ironically, economic indicators point to a boom. According to the Bank of Korea (BOK), real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.6 percent quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of this year, while nominal GDP rose 26.4 percent from a year earlier, marking its largest increase in 47 years. The annual growth rate is forecast to reach 3.3 percent this year, the highest level in five years since 2021.

Overall employment is also holding up well. The number of employed people in August increased by 184,000 from the same month a year earlier, the largest gain in five months. The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 stood at 70.4 percent, the highest August figure since statistics were first compiled in 1989.

The problem is that young people are moving in the opposite direction. One reason cited is that manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors, which are driving economic growth, do not generate many jobs.

According to the BOK's 2024 input-output tables, the employment inducement coefficient — which measures the number of direct and indirect jobs created across all industries for every 1 billion won ($730,000) in final demand — stood at 7.8, down from 8.2 in 2023.

The spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and companies' preference for experienced workers are also raising barriers to employment for young people. According to a BOK analysis, 211,000 jobs for young people disappeared over the three years from July 2022 to July 2025, with 98.6 percent of the losses occurring in industries highly exposed to AI. In the first quarter of this year, the number of newly created jobs for people aged 30 and younger stood at 2.363 million, the lowest since data collection began in 2018.

The government has acknowledged the severity of the youth employment problem and rolled out a series of measures. Under its Youth Job Recovery Plan, announced last month, it pledged to train more than 300,000 skilled professionals by 2030 and create at least 300,000 jobs through a combination of private and public sector employment and startup support.

Young people are also a key target of the government's Future Response Fund, which is financed through additional tax revenue. Those working at small and medium-sized companies in provincial areas will receive 1 million won per month for two years, while income tax reductions for workers will be expanded. The government expects the measures to generate around 90,000 jobs next year.

However, critics say most of the measures repeat existing approaches, relying on budget-funded short-term public jobs or employment subsidies for businesses. The central concern is that jobs created with public funds may not be sustainable.

Public sentiment among young people is now turning increasingly negative. President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating among people in their 20s remain in the 20 percent range.

Experts say an urgent shift in youth-centered measures is needed, moving beyond simple job-experience programs.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

韩国经济虽然增长，但年轻人的就业需求却在下降，导致青年求职者面临日益严峻的就业困境。28岁的合同工具先生（音译）正焦急地寻找新工作，他的合同即将到期，他表示对父母感到愧疚。政府数据显示，8月份15至29岁人群的就业率为44.1%，连续第28个月下降。

与上年同期相比，青年就业人数减少了 14.3 万人，连续 46 个月下降。

第二季度实际GDP环比增长0.6%，而名义GDP同比增长26.4%，创47年来最大增幅。

韩国央行表示，就业激励系数将从 2023 年的 8.2 降至 2024 年的 7.8，这意味着每 10 亿韩元的最终需求所创造的就业岗位将会减少。

韩国银行的一项分析发现，从 2022 年 7 月到 2025 年 7 月的三年间，韩国年轻人失去了 21.1 万个工作岗位，其中 98.6% 的损失发生在高度依赖人工智能的行业。

根据其青年就业恢复计划，政府承诺到 2030 年培训 30 多万名技术专业人员，并创造至少 30 万个就业岗位，同时预计明年这些措施将创造约 9 万个就业岗位。

发布于2026年9月26日上午11:53（韩国标准时间）

8月12日，一名求职者在首尔一所大学浏览招聘启事。（韩联社）

28岁的Koo在一家大公司做合同工，随着合同即将到期，他越来越焦虑。

由于他的职位没有转正的机会，他知道自己必须在今年下半年找到工作。此前，他只申请过自己真正想去的公司，但现在他准备考虑任何雇主，包括初创公司。

Koo说：“据我观察，今年的招聘信息数量似乎比去年减少了一半。我讨厌被拿来和已经找到工作的表兄弟姐妹比较，也觉得对不起父母，所以不想回家过中秋节。”

对于即将就业的年轻人来说，中秋节未必是个令人欣喜的节日。尽管韩国经济据称在半导体出口的推动下创下了历史最高增速，但年轻人的就业机会却已变得异常艰难，令他们不愿面对家人。

根据政府数据，8月份15至29岁人群的就业率为44.1%，连续第28个月下降。青年就业人数较上年同期减少14.3万人，连续46个月呈下降趋势。

具有讽刺意味的是，各项经济指标都指向经济繁荣。据韩国央行（BOK）数据显示，今年第二季度实际国内生产总值（GDP）环比增长0.6%，而名义GDP同比增长26.4%，创下47年来最大增幅。预计今年全年GDP增​​速将达到3.3%，为2021年以来的五年来最高水平。

整体就业形势依然良好。8月份就业人数较上年同期增加18.4万人，创五个月来最大增幅。15至64岁人群的就业率达到70.4%，为1989年开始统计以来8月份的最高水平。

问题在于，年轻人正在朝着相反的方向发展。其中一个原因是，像半导体这样的制造业虽然是经济增长的驱动力，但创造的就业机会并不多。

根据韩国央行 2024 年投入产出表，就业诱导系数（衡量每 10 亿韩元（73 万美元）最终需求在所有行业创造的直接和间接就业岗位数量）为 7.8，低于 2023 年的 8.2。

人工智能（AI）的普及以及企业对经验丰富的员工的偏好也加剧了年轻人的就业障碍。根据韩国央行（BOK）的一项分析，从2022年7月到2025年7月的三年间，年轻人的就业岗位减少了21.1万个，其中98.6%的岗位流失发生在高度依赖人工智能的行业。今年第一季度，30岁及以下人群新增就业岗位仅为236.3万个，为2018年开始收集数据以来的最低水平。

政府已意识到青年就业问题的严重性，并推出了一系列措施。根据上个月公布的《青年就业恢复计划》，政府承诺到2030年培训超过30万名技术工人，并通过私营和公共部门就业以及创业扶持相结合的方式创造至少30万个就业岗位。

年轻人也是政府“未来应对基金”的重点扶持对象，该基金的资金来源于额外的税收收入。在省级中小企业​​工作的员工将每月获得100万韩元，为期两年，同时还将扩大对劳动者的所得税减免范围。政府预计这些措施明年将创造约9万个就业岗位。

然而，批评人士指出，大多数措施都沿用了现有做法，依赖于预算拨款提供的短期公共就业岗位或对企业的就业补贴。核心问题在于，用公共资金创造的就业岗位可能不可持续。

年轻人的民意正变得越来越负面。李在明总统在20多岁人群中的支持率仍然徘徊在20%左右。

专家表示，亟需对以青年为中心的措施进行重大转变，而不能仅仅局限于简单的就业体验项目。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。