In brief
In August, South Korea’s non‑wage workers jumped to 6.625 million, the first climb in three years, driven by new businesses opened by the elderly and the youth. The increase is led by those in their 30s and seniors aged 70 and older, each adding more than 20 000 new self‑employed workers. Overall, non‑wage workers now make up 22.7 % of the country’s employed population, a slight rise from a year earlier.
In August, South Korea’s non‑wage workforce rose to 6.625 million, the first increase in three years, driven by a surge of new businesses opened by the elderly and young adults, data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics show.
The total number of non‑wage workers climbed 71,000 from August 2025, and now represents 22.7 % of the country’s employed population, up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier.
Self‑employed workers with employees grew by 47,000 to 1.481 million, while those without employees increased 62,000 to 4.303 million. Unpaid family workers fell by 37,000 to 841,000.
The growth was led by workers in their 30s, who added 55,000 new self‑employed individuals, and by seniors 70 plus, whose numbers rose 23,000 to 965,000—making up 14.6 % of all non‑wage workers, the highest share recorded since 2007.
Young adults aged 15 to 29 also saw a modest gain of 24,000, reflecting a trend toward entrepreneurship among Korea’s youth.
These shifts suggest that South Korea’s workforce is adapting to changing demographics, with more seniors and younger people pursuing flexible or informal work arrangements.
