In April 2025, the employment rate for those aged 15 and above was 63.2%, up 0.2%p from the previous year, marking the highest April figure on record. The employment rate for those aged 15 to 64 reached 69.9%, rising by 0.3%p year-on-year, also a record high for April. The labor force participation rate stood at 65.1%, increasing by 0.1%p from the previous year, the highest on record for April. The unemployment rate was 2.9%, showing a 0.1%p decline from a year ago.
* Employment Indicators for April (2024→2025, %): Employment rate: 63.0 → 63.2 Labor force participation rate: 65.0 → 65.1 Unemployment rate: 3.0 → 2.9
By age group, the employment rate picked up for those in their 30s (80.8%, +0.7%p), 40s (79.9%, +0.8%p), and those aged 60 and over (47.5%, +0.7%p), while it remained unchanged for those in their 50s (77.3%, +0.0%p). Although the employment rate decreased for the youth (45.3%, -0.9%p), the rate of decrease narrowed (-1.4%p → -0.9%p) compared to the previous month.
The number of employed persons went up by 194,000 compared to the previous year. By industry, employment moved up in the service sector (+567,000 → +606,000), while it moved down in construction (-185,000 → -150,000), manufacturing (-112,000 → -124,000) and agriculture, forestry and fisheries (-79,000→ -134,000). By employment status, both regular (+234,000 → +279,000) and temporary workers (+126,000 → +52,000) continued to rise, while daily workers went down (-100,000 → -54,000).
* Growth/decline in the number of employed persons (year-on-year, ten thousand): (Q2, 2024) +14.6 (Q3) +14.6 (Q4) +5.2 (Jan, 2025) +13.5 (Feb) +13.6 (Mar) +19.3 (Apr) +19.4
The number of employed persons recorded double-digit growth for the fourth consecutive month, leading to the highest employment and labor force participation rates for April on record. In particular, employment in the service sector saw a significant increase, driven by growth in professional science, education services, and information and communications; continued employment gains in health and social welfare services and public administration – supported by direct job creation programs and rising demand for care services – further contributed to the expansion.
However, owing to delays in the recovery of economic sentiment amid external uncertainties such as U.S. tariff policies, the decline in manufacturing employment has deepened. Employment in the construction and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors has also continued to fall, indicating a sustained downward trend in key industries.
Under these circumstances, the government is committed to further strengthening its efforts to manage internal and external risks, create jobs in the private sector, and ensure employment stability for vulnerable groups.
To this end, the government will strive to swiftly execute the supplementary budget aimed at supporting export-oriented firms affected by tariffs and preemptively responding to employment shocks so that the impact of external uncertainties on domestic demand can be minimized.
Furthermore, the government plans to sequentially develop measures to shore up the competitiveness of major industries, while developing fundamental strategies to revitalize the construction sector to support job creation.
Last but not least, the government will steadily implement and manage youth employment programs – including the All-Care Platform for Youth Employment, work experience opportunities, and vocational training – continuously devising additional policy tasks.
Please refer to the attached files.
