Anchor: The number of jobs held by people with only a high school education has reached a new high of more than ten million. About half of all newly created jobs last year were taken by high school grads. Government data show that more people are now opting to start work after graduating from high school than ever before. 
Our Kim In-kyung has more.
 
Report: The number of jobs held by people with just a high school education surpassed ten million for the first time last year as more South Koreans choose to enter the workforce after graduating from high school rather than attend college.
 
Statistics Korea data showed on Monday that the total tally stood at ten million-105-thousand last year, up two-point-seven percent from 2013.
 
The rate of increase is zero-point-six percentage points higher than the rate for all employed people. It is the first time since 2002 that the job rate growth for high school graduates has exceeded that of all employees.
 
High school graduates also took up half of the 530-thousand jobs newly created last year.
 
The number of high school graduates with jobs had dropped to roughly eight-million in 1998 following the Asian financial crisis, but rebounded to the nine-million range in 2000 before reaching the current level.
 
The main reason for the growth in employment rate for high school graduates is a rise in the number of people who opted to get a job instead of going to college after high school.
 
In the past three years, the number of high school graduates with jobs has inched up from zero-point-three percent to one-point-one percent, but the college entrance rate has dropped from almost 73 percent to about 71 percent.
 
Government policies to create more jobs for high school graduates such as encouraging public agencies to increase the ratio of high school graduates among new hires has also had an impact.
 
But experts point out the low pay and job insecurity for high school graduates, highlighting the need to raise the quality of their jobs.
Kim In-kyung, KBS World Radio News.