People attend a senior job fair in the southeastern city of Busan, South Korea. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Aug. 5 (Asia Today) -- The number of employed South Koreans ages 55 to 79 surpassed 10 million for the first time as inadequate pension income continued to push many older people to remain in the workforce.
The number of employed people in the age group reached 10.12 million in May, up 345,000 from a year earlier, according to a supplementary survey released Wednesday by the National Data Agency.
The total population ages 55 to 79 rose by 570,000 to 17.01 million. The group's labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 60.9%, while its employment rate held steady at 59.5%.
South Korea's older workforce stood at 9.78 million in May 2025, meaning it expanded by about 345,000 over the following year.
