SEOUL, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of wage workers in South Korea rose slower in the fourth quarter of 2024 as lost youth jobs offset a rapid growth in elderly jobs, statistical office data showed Wednesday.
The number of wage and salary worker jobs totaled 20,902,000 in the October-December quarter, up 153,000 from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
The fourth-quarter increase was lower than an expansion of 246,000 in the third quarter, marking the lowest gain since relevant data began to be compiled in 2018.
The number of paid workers for those aged 60 and older surged 248,000 in the fourth quarter, with the figures for those in their 50s and 30s going up 70,000 and 67,000, respectively.
However, the readings for those in their 40s and under-20s dropped 84,000 and 148,000 each.
Jobs in the health and social welfare industry gained 140,000 in the cited quarter, but those in the construction and real estate sectors reduced 109,000 and 9,000 each. ■
