Gyeonggi Province Sees More Jobs in Q1, but Youth Unemployment Rises to 8.1%

The number of employed people in Gyeonggi Province has seen a slight increase compared to the same period last year. However, employment in the manufacturing sector has dropped significantly, while the youth unemployment rate has risen sharply.

On May 28, the Gyeonggi-do Job Foundation announced in its report titled "2026 Q1 Gyeonggi Province Employment Trends Analysis" that the number of employed people in the province during the first quarter of this year (January to March) increased by 13,000 (up 0.2 percentage points) compared to the same period last year. In contrast, the number of employed people in the manufacturing sector decreased by 54,000 during the same period, highlighting a stark difference.

According to the report, the employment growth in Gyeonggi Province in the first quarter was double that of the previous quarter (7,000 people in Q4 last year), and 13,000 more compared to the same period last year.

By sector, there was a significant increase in employment in domestic industries such as construction, wholesale and retail, accommodation and food services, as well as electricity, transportation, communications, and finance. In particular, the recovery of domestic industries like wholesale and retail, accommodation and food services, and electricity, transportation, and communications has been more robust than in other regions. Employment in business, personal, and public services also increased by around 24,000 people this year, partly due to last year's relatively mild domestic downturn in these sectors.

Panorama of Gyeonggi-do Job Foundation

In contrast, during this period, the number of employed people in the manufacturing sector in the province dropped by 54,000, which is twice the decrease seen in manufacturing employment nationwide (27,000 people). The increase in employment in business, personal, and public services also remained at a low level.

The Job Foundation attributes the significant decline in manufacturing employment to continued sluggishness in industries facing strong competition with China, such as metal processing, other machinery and equipment, and plastics.

The youth unemployment rate rose sharply compared to the same period last year. In the first quarter of 2026, the youth unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 29 in Gyeonggi Province was 8.1%, up 3.3 percentage points from 4.8% in the same period last year. During the same period, the national youth unemployment rate was 7.4%.

The Job Foundation explained that while the youth unemployment rate in the province remains within a similar range as other cities and provinces, there has been a shift from the previous trend of consistently staying below the national average, indicating the need for ongoing monitoring.

This employment status analysis can be found in the "Policy Research" section of the Gyeonggi-do Job Foundation's website (www.gjf.or.kr). For more information, contact the Job Research Center at 031-270-6614.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.