The number of economically inactive South Koreans increased by 245-thousand on-year in August.

According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, nearly two-point-57 million people were neither working nor looking for work.

Those in their 60s made up 36-point-three percent of the total, while people in their 20s accounted for 17-point-one percent.

Thirty-five-point-three percent of those who stayed economically inactive cited health reasons. 

Seventeen-point-nine percent said they could not find a job they wanted.

Thirty-one-point-nine percent said working conditions were the most important factor they considered when seeking employment, while 27-point-three percent mentioned income.

The total number of economically inactive individuals came to 16-point-21 million, up 48-thousand from a year earlier, with nearly six million people citing household chores as the reason.