▲ In this file photo, a job seeker looks at a job information board at an employment center in Seoul on July 15, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- The number of employment insurance subscribers aged 29 and under declined for the 47th consecutive month last month from a year earlier, the labor ministry said Monday, underscoring worsening employment conditions for young people.

As of July, the number of employment insurance subscribers stood at 15,877,000, up 277,000 or 1.8 percent, from a year earlier, the ministry said, adding that the increase has remained in the high 200,000s for seven consecutive months.

By age group, the number of employment insurance subscribers in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s and older increased by about 85,000, 4,000, 37,000 and 209,000, respectively.

In contrast, the number of employment insurance subscribers aged 29 or younger decreased by 57,000, due to factors such as population decline, the ministry said, noting that the number has declined for 47 consecutive months since September 2022.

"It is estimated that the impact of population decline accounts for 60 percent of the decrease in employment insurance subscribers aged 29 and under, while the impact of employment decline accounts for the remaining 40 percent," a ministry official said.

He also attributed the decrease to economic downturn, companies' preference for experienced workers, the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots, and dismissals of entry-level and fixed-term workers.

By industry, the service sector saw an increase of 285,000, or 2.6 percent, leading the overall growth.

But the manufacturing and construction sectors have been experiencing a downturn. The manufacturing sector saw a decline of 2,800, or 0.1 percent, while the construction sector reported a decrease of 7,200, or 1 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of people applying for job-seeking benefits, also known as unemployment benefits, decreased 2,000, or 2.2 percent, year-on-year to 109,000 last month, the ministry said.

The amount of job-seeking benefits paid totaled 1.09 trillion won (US$770 million), down 21.8 billion won, or 2 percent, from a year earlier, it added.

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