Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Korea
Korea: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) was 2.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Korea, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Korea recorded 2.7% for unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Korea peaked at 5.6% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1996.
That places Korea 159th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.0% | — |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +7.4% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | +5.5% |
| 1994 | 1.9% | -14.5% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | -12.5% |
| 1996 | 1.6% | -6.2% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | +45.8% |
| 1998 | 5.6% | +145.4% |
| 1999 | 5.1% | -10.0% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | -36.4% |
| 2001 | 3.0% | -7.3% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | -16.9% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | +21.8% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | -12.5% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | -11.5% |
| 2008 | 2.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +11.7% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | -6.9% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | +9.3% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | +17.6% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 3.5% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 4.0% | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | -18.9% |
| 2023 | 2.7% | -10.2% |
| 2024 | 2.8% | +3.7% |
| 2025 | 2.7% | -4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.7% | 1.6% | 5.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 4.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More education data for Korea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 233,046 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 76 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 434,627 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 412,067 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.51 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -4.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0484 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Korea?
- Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) in Korea was 2.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 1998.
- What is the lowest unemployment, female (% of female labor force) recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1996.
- How does Korea rank for unemployment, female (% of female labor force)?
- Korea ranks 159th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, female (% of female labor force) rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.