SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's economically inactive population rose this year due to a fast increase in a so-called "take-a-rest" population, statistical ministry data showed Wednesday.
The number of economically inactive population totaled 16,220,000 in August, up 9,000 from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The population refers to those aged 15 and higher who are neither employed nor unemployed for various reasons such as household activities, attending school and illnesses.
The number of homemakers who did not actively seek jobs to engage in household activities expanded 13,000 over the year to 5,977,000 in August.
The figure for students without jobs who attended school or various courses increased 21,000 to 3,271,000, but the reading for the elderly and retirees who did not actively seek employment declined 50,000 to 2,480,000.
The number of the "take-a-rest" population mounted 73,000 to 2,641,000 in the cited period.
The resting population refers to those who are not actively seeking work without specific reasons such as disability, childcare and attending school.
It can be a socio-economic concern as the population includes youths who have given up on job-searching efforts due to job mismatches, lack of suitable jobs or burnout from intense competition. ■
