Regular Wage Jobs Decline for the First Time in 26 Years and 5 Months... Impact of AI Replacement

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, is attending and speaking at the final report meeting of the "AI Industrial Transformation and Jobs Forum" held at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Jung-gu, Seoul on December 17, 2025. Photo by Jo Yongjun

For the first time in 26 years and 5 months, the number of regular wage jobs, known for their high employment stability, has declined. This is attributed to the continued slump in the manufacturing sector and the decrease in information and communication technology (ICT) and professional workers in their 20s and 30s, a trend driven by the spread of artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics on June 15, the number of regular wage workers last month was 16.74 million, which is a decrease of 7,000 compared to a year earlier. Regular wage workers are defined as employees with a contract period of at least one year and are classified as jobs similar to permanent positions.

This decrease in regular wage workers is the first since December 1999, when the figure dropped by 56,000 amid the effects of the foreign exchange crisis. After switching to an increase of 50,000 in January 2000, the number of regular wage workers had continued to rise year-on-year for 316 consecutive months up to April of this year (an increase of 62,000). Even during the pandemic in December 2020 (an increase of 5,000), the upward trend was maintained, and in 2022, the monthly increase sometimes reached 800,000 to 900,000.

Last year, the number of regular wage workers increased by 200,000 to 300,000 per month, but this growth shrank to around 100,000 early this year and turned negative last month. However, the proportion of regular wage workers among all employed persons hit an all-time high at 57.5%. This was due to an overall decrease of 40,000 in total employment.

The decline in regular wage jobs was especially pronounced among the younger generation in their 20s and 30s. Last month, the number of regular wage workers in their 20s decreased by 164,000, and in their 30s by 34,000, totaling a reduction of 197,000. This is the largest decline since December 2020 (a decrease of 217,000).

The decrease in regular wage jobs among those in their 20s and 30s was particularly prominent in the manufacturing sector, which lost 92,000 positions. For those in their 20s, the number of regular wage jobs in the ICT sector fell by 57,000, exceeding even the decline in manufacturing. In contrast, among those in their 30s, regular wage jobs in the ICT sector actually increased by 26,000. This suggests that hiring in information technology (IT) fields such as software development and computer programming has shifted from entry-level to experienced positions.

For regular wage workers in their 30s, the steepest decline was seen in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, which fell by 76,000. This includes professional fields such as research and development, architectural engineering, as well as legal and accounting services provided by lawyers and accountants. Analysts attribute this trend to the impact of AI replacing jobs in these professional areas.

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