Seoul: South Korea added more than 180,000 jobs in June, marking the sixth consecutive month of employment growth, but employment in the manufacturing and construction sectors continued to decline, data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people reached 29.09 million last month, up 183,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, June's data highlight a continued upward trend in employment following a brief contraction in December, when the country saw a net loss of 52,000 positions. Since then, the trend has reversed with net increases noted in the following months: 135,000 jobs in January, 136,000 in February, 193,000 in March, 194,000 in April, and 245,000 in May.

The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 increased by 0.4 percentage points from a year earlier to 70.3 percent in June, while the jobless rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to 2.8 percent. Despite the overall growth, the manufacturing and construction sectors, considered the backbone of the economy, remained sluggish.

The manufacturing sector lost 83,000 jobs from a year earlier in June, marking its 12th consecutive month of decline. The construction sector shed 97,000 jobs over the same period, continuing its downturn for the 14th consecutive month. An official at the statistics agency noted that while the decline in manufacturing has lessened compared to March and April, it slightly increased from the previous month, indicating ongoing concerns related to trade issues and tariff negotiations with the U.S.

The agriculture sector experienced its steepest job decline since November 2015, with a reduction of 141,000 jobs, translating to an 8.7 percent drop. This significant drop is attributed to an abnormal cold wave in April and heavy rain in June. The accommodation and food service industry also saw a reduction, losing 38,000 jobs amid weak domestic consumption.

In contrast, employment in other sectors showed positive trends. The public health and social welfare sector rose by 216,000 jobs, while the science and technology services sector added 102,000. Jobs in education services increased by 72,000. June's job growth was primarily driven by the hiring of older adults, with employment for those aged 60 years and older jumping by 348,000 from a year earlier. Jobs for people in their 30s increased by 116,000.

However, employment for younger age groups saw declines. Jobs for those in their 20s fell by 152,000, while employment among those in their 40s and 50s decreased by 55,000 and 53,000, respectively. The employment rate for people aged 15 and older edged up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier to 63.6 percent in June. However, the employment rate for those aged 15 to 29 dropped 1 percentage point year-on-year to 45.6 percent, declining for the 14th consecutive month.

The number of economically inactive people rose by 42,000 to reach 15.8 million by the end of June.