The number of workers aged 70 and older increased by a record 150-thousand in the first half of the year.

According to Statistics Korea on Sunday, the number of workers in the age group reached one million 925-thousand in the first six months of the year, up 150-thousand from a year earlier.

The figure represents the largest growth since the nation started compiling related data in 2018.

The overall job growth for the six-month period slowed from 941-thousand in 2022, 372-thousand in 2024 and 220-thousand this year, while the growth for the age group is on a steady rise from 146-thousand in 2022, 148-thousand in 2023 and 150-thousand this year.

On the other side of the age spectrum, the number of workers aged 15 and 29 plunged by 115-thousand in the January-June period this year, the largest fall since the first half of 2020.