Seoul: South Korea added 184,000 jobs in August from a year earlier, marking the largest increase in five months, while employment conditions remained challenging for young people and the manufacturing sector.

According to Yonhap News Agency, government data revealed that the number of employed people reached 29.15 million in August, compared to 28.97 million a year earlier. This increase represents the largest since 206,000 jobs were added in March. It also marked the third consecutive month of job gains, despite the ongoing sluggishness in the manufacturing sector. Job growth turned positive again in June after experiencing a decline of 40,000 in May, which was the first drop in 17 months.

The country's jobless rate remained steady at 2 percent last month, unchanged from a year earlier. The number of unemployed individuals totaled 588,000 in August, which is a decrease of 4,000 from the same month in 2025. Meanwhile, the employment rate for individuals aged 15 and above remained stable at 63.3 percent compared to the previous year.

However, the employment rate for the younger demographic, aged 15 to 29, stood at 44.1 percent, a decrease of 1 percentage point from a year earlier. This marks the 28th consecutive month of decline for this age group. In contrast, the employment rate for those aged 30 to 39 increased slightly to 81.1 percent, up by 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier.

The manufacturing sector faced significant challenges, losing 38,000 jobs and marking the 26th consecutive month of decline. The agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industry also saw a reduction of 109,000 jobs. Similarly, the accommodation and restaurant sector shed 61,000 jobs, with the data ministry attributing this decline to the base effect from the distribution of government vouchers last year.

In contrast, the healthcare and social welfare sector experienced growth, adding 186,000 positions. The arts, sports, and recreation-related services sector also saw an increase, with 73,000 new jobs. The total number of economically inactive individuals rose by 77,000 from a year earlier, reaching 16.29 million. However, the number of people who reported not working and simply resting decreased by 89,000 to 2.55 million.