Korea - Labor force, total

The value for Labor force, total in Korea was 28,606,250 as of 2021. As the graph below shows, over the past 31 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 28,712,440 in 2019 and a minimum value of 19,185,010 in 1990.

Definition: Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.

Source: Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2019.

See also:

Year Value
1990 19,185,010
1991 19,787,660
1992 20,218,470
1993 20,497,420
1994 21,033,260
1995 21,498,440
1996 21,828,770
1997 22,322,160
1998 21,993,990
1999 22,308,890
2000 22,976,420
2001 23,417,390
2002 23,869,030
2003 23,850,600
2004 24,344,410
2005 24,464,990
2006 24,732,520
2007 24,986,730
2008 25,160,290
2009 25,182,790
2010 25,510,480
2011 25,927,890
2012 26,294,970
2013 26,647,940
2014 27,396,650
2015 27,784,820
2016 28,000,420
2017 28,292,430
2018 28,444,050
2019 28,712,440
2020 28,474,610
2021 28,606,250

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The labor force is the supply of labor available for producing goods and services in an economy. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave. Data are generated with World Bank population estimates and ILO estimates on labor force participation rate. The ILO estimates are harmonized to ensure comparability across countries and over time by accounting for differences in data source, scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. The estimates are based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (population censuses and nationally reported estimates) used only when no survey data are available.

Aggregation method: Sum

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

Classification

Topic: Labor & Social Protection Indicators

Sub-Topic: Labor force structure