In brief
According to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, South Korea recorded its first rise in non‑wage workers in three years, with a 71,000 increase to 6.625 million in August. Growth was strongest among people in their 30s and seniors aged 70 and older, while unpaid family workers fell by 37,000. The rebound comes after steady declines from 2023 through 2025.
In Seoul, a surge in business openings among the elderly and young adults has pushed South Korea’s non‑wage workers to 6.625 million in August, the first increase in three years, data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics showed on Wednesday, according to Xinhua.
The total climbed 71,000 from the same month last year, following a decline from 6.724 million in 2023 to 6.657 million in 2024 and 6.554 million in 2025. The rise means non‑wage workers now account for 22.7 percent of the country’s employed population, up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier.
The government’s figures attribute growth mainly to self‑employment: those with employees rose 47,000 to 1.481 million, while the self‑employed without employees increased 62,000 to 4.303 million. Unpaid family workers decreased 37,000 to 841,000.
Age‑specific trends
Growth was especially pronounced in specific age brackets. The number of non‑wage workers in their 30s climbed 55,000, and those aged 15 to 29 added 24,000. Seniors aged 70 and older expanded by 23,000 to 965,000, representing 14.6 percent of all non‑wage workers, the highest share recorded since 2007.
