Record-high South Korean grads not working or seeking employment

According to Statistics Korea, there were 4.058 million people in the country with a college degree who were considered an “economically inactive population,” which refers to those aged 15 or over who are unable to or unwilling to work. This includes students, homemakers, those preparing for state exams for government official posts and people who simply gave up employment.

The number of economically inactive citizens with higher education in the first half of this year increased by 72,000 compared to the same period in 2023 and was the highest H1 figure since the government started tallying in 1999. The previous high had been in the H1 of 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which surpassed the 4 million mark for the first time at 4.048 million.

The figure decreased the next year by 130,600, but increased for the subsequent two years.