MACRO · JOBS
Korean unemployment rate
Korea's unemployment rate on a basis that allows comparison between countries.
Current value2.8%+0.1 ppChange from previous observation · as of Jul 1, 2026
Latest value
Published monthly| Current value | 2.8% |
|---|---|
| Observation date | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Published | Monthly |
| vs previous observation | +0.1 pp |
| vs 1 month ago | +0.1 pp |
| vs 1 year ago | +0.1 pp |
| Past-year range | 2.7% to 3.3% |
| Position in range | 17% (0% = 1-year low, 100% = 1-year high) |
Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Monthly Unemployment Rate Total: 15 Years or over for Korea [LRHUTTTTKRM156S], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
What this number measures
The definition is the same for Korea: the share of people who want to work and looked for a job but did not find one. Statistics Korea publishes it every month in its employment trends report.
The value Jupick shows is a series in which the OECD aligns each country's statistics to a common basis. It can therefore differ from the Statistics Korea figure after the decimal point.
How it is calculated and when it is released
A seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the population aged 15 and over. The source data is the Statistics Korea survey, and this series is the version aligned for comparison between countries.
Released monthly. Because it goes through adjustment to the international basis, it appears later than the Statistics Korea release.
What this number does not tell you
- It may not match the official domestic figure exactly. If it differs from the number in Korean news, the basis is different.
- People who gave up looking, and people who are in effect looking for work but do not meet the survey definition, are not counted in this ratio.
- The situation of specific groups, such as young people, is hidden in the overall ratio.
Common misreadings
- When it differs from the domestic figure
Jupick's value is a series adjusted to a basis for comparison between countries. A gap with the Statistics Korea figure is a difference in basis, not an error.
- Comparing it directly with the US rate
Both values are adjusted to international standards, but labor market structure and survey methods differ, so the size of the numbers alone does not show which side is in a better position.
※ This explains the definition and past observations of the indicator. It does not forecast future values or market direction.
Other indicators in this group (Employment)
This page is information based on public data and is not advice on any stock or financial product. The indicators summarize current and past facts and do not forecast the future.