{
  "id": 2931028,
  "title": "Korea's wage jobs rise 292,000 in Q1, led by welfare, hospitality sectors",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/koreas-wage-jobs-rise-292-000-in-q1-led-by-welfare-hospitality-sectors",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-24T03:32:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260824/koreas-wage-jobs-rise-292000-in-q1-led-by-welfare-hospitality-sectors"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea added 292,000 wage jobs in the first quarter of 2026, according to official data released on Monday. This growth was primarily driven by an increase in jobs within the health and social welfare, accommodation, and food service sectors. The manufacturing and construction sectors, on the other hand, experienced losses. As of February, the total number of salaried jobs stood at 20.82 million, marking a rise of 292,000 compared to the previous year. The Ministry of Data and Statistics reported that 74% of these jobs were held by individuals who had been employed in the same roles a year prior. Meanwhile, 15.3% of the jobs were taken up by new workers after existing jobholders either retired or switched to different roles. Of the total new positions, 10.7% were created through the establishment of new businesses or business expansions. In terms of sector-specific growth, the health and social welfare sector saw a 127,000 increase in wage jobs, while the accommodation and food service sectors added 59,000 new positions. Conversely, the manufacturing sector saw a decrease of 1,000 wage jobs, and the construction industry recorded a decline of 52,000 jobs. Within manufacturing, the chip industry managed to add 5,000 new wage jobs, although the textile dyeing segment saw a reduction of 3,000 jobs. Within the communications and broadcasting sectors, there were no significant changes in wage job numbers.",
  "summary": "Korea added 292,000 wage jobs in the first quarter of 2026, driven by gains in the health and social welfare, accommodation, and food service sectors, while manufacturing and construction lost ground, official data showed Monday. The number of salaried jobs stood at 20.82 million as of February, up 292,000 from a year earlier, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said. According to the latest…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "The surge in wage jobs in health and social welfare, accommodation, and food service sectors marks a shift in Korea's employment landscape, away from manufacturing and construction.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "S. Korea's wage jobs rise 292,000 in Q1, led by welfare, hospitality sectors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/s-koreas-wage-jobs-rise-292-000-in-q1-led-by-welfare-hospitality",
        "published": "2026-08-24T03:00:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Korea's wage jobs rise 292,000 in Q1, led by welfare, hospitality sectors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/koreas-wage-jobs-rise-292-000-in-q1-led-by-welfare-hospitality-sectors-2932426",
        "published": "2026-08-24T03:37:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}