Korea Industry Employment
Employment in industry SL.IND.EMPL.ZS
Korea's industry employment was 23.38% in 2025, ranked 131st globally. This represents a 1.2% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Korea's industry employment stood at 23.38% in 2025, a decline of +0.28% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 23.05% by 2026. Korea ranked 131st globally.
Korea’s share of the labour force employed in industry fell from an all‑time peak of 37.16 percent in 1991 to a trough of 23.38 percent in 2025, positioning the country at 131st globally out of the World Bank’s coverage of 35 years. The decline reflects the structural shift toward services and high‑technology manufacturing that accelerated after the 1997 Asian financial crisis and deepened with the rise of digital platforms in the 2010s. By 2025 Korea’s industry employment rate is virtually identical to that of Japan (23.23 percent) and only marginally above Tonga (23.34 percent), yet still below the European Union average of 23.91 percent. The persistent downward trajectory suggests that further automation and the expansion of knowledge‑intensive sectors will continue to erode industrial employment, unless policy interventions such as targeted retraining or incentives for labour‑intensive manufacturing are introduced to alter the current path.
Data & projection
| Year | Industry Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 22.40% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 22.72% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 23.05% | - | - |
| 2025 | 23.38% | −0.28% | #131 |
| 2024 | 23.66% | −0.33% | #132 |
| 2023 | 23.99% | −0.47% | #134 |
| 2022 | 24.46% | −0.15% | #137 |
| 2021 | 24.60% | −0.04% | #140 |
| 2020 | 24.65% | +0.07% | #141 |
| 2019 | 24.58% | −0.62% | #141 |
| 2018 | 25.20% | −0.11% | #144 |
| 2017 | 25.31% | +0.09% | #147 |
| 2016 | 25.22% | −0.20% | #146 |
| 2015 | 25.43% | −0.33% | #149 |
| 2014 | 25.76% | +0.19% | #150 |
| 2013 | 25.57% | +0.21% | #149 |
| 2012 | 25.36% | −0.24% | #146 |
| 2011 | 25.61% | −0.15% | #149 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Korea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2006. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw industry employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Korea's industry employment was 23.38% in 2025. Ranked 131st globally. This represents a 1.2% decrease from the previous year.
Korea's industry employment peaked at 37.16% in 1991.
The lowest industry employment in Korea was 23.38% in 2025.
Korea ranks 131st globally in industry employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Korea's industry employment is projected to reach 23.05% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The industry employment of Korea in 2025 was 23.38%. This ranks 131st in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_korea_industry-employment,
title = {Korea Industry Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/korea/industry-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}