한국노동연구원은 2024년 상반기 노동시장 동향 및 하반기 전망에 대해 분석한 영문보고서를 발표하였다.
The labor market has seen employment growth slow in H1 2024, with the strong post-COVID-19 rebound fading. Employment growth has been steadily declining since H1 2023, reaching 220,000 in H1 2024. The employment rate declined for men, while women experienced a smaller increase in employment. Employment of young people declined due to demographic changes, while employment of people in their 60s remained high. By industry, employment continued to slow down in manufacturing and services, while the slowdown in construction employment intensified.
In 2024, the number of employed people is expected to increase by about 182,000 year-over year, with the employment rate reaching 62.8% and the unemployment rate reaching 2.9%. Construction employment is expected to remain sluggish in H2, and the impact of a rebound in manufacturing on employment will be limited. Employment in the services sector is also unlikely to expand due to the contraction in private consumption caused by high inflation and interest rates. The government should remain vigilant to macroeconomic downside risks and take tailored employment measures by monitoring employment conditions in sectors where employment is expected to slump, such as construction and wholesale and retail trade.