Trend of Annual Unemployment Rate of South Korea

Updated on May 15, 2026.

According to recent data from the World Bank, the total unemployment rate of South Korea was 2.68% in 2026, a difference of -0.1 points compared to 2025; and the total labor force of South Korea in 2026 was 29,848,809. The most recent figures on male and female unemployment rates were 2.68% and 2.69% respectively in 2026.

The chart and table below shows the trend of the total, male, and female unemployment rates of South Korea for 1992-2026.

You can see similar information for other countries.

The World Bank defines unemployment rate as "the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment".

You may also be interested in:
Trend of Annual Youth Unemployment Rate of South Korea.

Related Topics: World Bank Topic List

Data Source: World Bank.

Trend of Annual Unemployment Rate of South Korea (%)

Total

Male

Female

Trend of Annual Unemployment Rate of South Korea

0 of 0

Year	Total Unempl.(%)	Male Unempl.(%)	Female Unempl.(%)
1991	2.41	2.68	1.99
1992	2.51	2.75	2.13
1993	2.88	3.28	2.25
1994	2.48	2.83	1.92
1995	2.06	2.31	1.68
1996	2.05	2.35	1.58
1997	2.61	2.81	2.3
1998	6.96	7.8	5.65
1999	6.34	7.16	5.08
2000	4.06	4.62	3.23
2001	3.7	4.18	3
2002	3.05	3.43	2.49
2003	3.35	3.56	3.03
2004	3.42	3.66	3.07
2005	3.48	3.75	3.1
2006	3.25	3.64	2.71
2007	3.01	3.44	2.4
2008	2.96	3.35	2.4
2009	3.36	3.83	2.68
2010	3.32	3.66	2.84
2011	2.99	3.24	2.64
2012	2.81	2.99	2.55
2013	3.07	3.26	2.79
2014	3.08	3.17	2.96
2015	3.55	3.59	3.48
2016	3.65	3.73	3.54
2017	3.65	3.78	3.48
2018	3.82	3.92	3.69
2019	3.75	3.87	3.58
2020	3.93	3.89	3.99
2021	3.64	3.56	3.74
2022	2.86	2.72	3.03
2023	2.68	2.64	2.72
2024	2.78	2.75	2.82
2025	2.68	2.68	2.69