The number of young, active job seekers that remained unemployed for over four months rose last year for the first time in five years 

According to a report released by the Korea Enterprises Federation on Tuesday, the number of long-term unemployed aged between 15 to 29 reached 69-thousand in 2024, up two-thousand from 2023. 

The figure rose after steadily declining between 2020 to 2023

The report found people aged 15 to 29 made up 30-point-two percent of the 227-thousand long-term jobless in 2024, while those in their 30s accounted for about 22 percent. 

The federation said 504-thousand young people were not seeking jobs as of February, the highest figure since related statistics began to be compiled in 2003.

The federation also stressed the need to enhance employment support, including industry-specific job training, to help young people reenter the labor market.