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South Korea’s job market is losing momentum, with employment rates falling and unemployment rising. As of February, the number of young people effectively out of work—including active job seekers and those preparing to enter the workforce—hit 1.2 million, an increase of 70,000 from the previous year. What was once a challenge primarily for younger job seekers is now spreading into the 30s age group, pointing to a deeper structural issue.

A particularly alarming trend is the surge in 30-somethings who have completely stopped looking for work, classified as those who "just took a break." In February, this group grew to 316,000, up 14,000 from the previous year—setting a new record since data collection began in 2003. This marks six consecutive months of increase, with their share of the 30s age group exceeding 4.5%, the highest ever recorded.

A deeper look into unemployment among 30-somethings reveals that most are not first-time job seekers. As of last year, only 3,000 had never worked before, while 147,000 had prior work experience. This suggests that the rise in job abandonment isn’t just about companies preferring experienced workers—it’s more likely driven by job mismatches and a lack of quality employment opportunities. Many in this group appear to have resigned from previous jobs but struggled to find suitable new positions, ultimately dropping out of the labor force.

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