SEOUL, May 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's employment growth logged a 16-month low amid lingering uncertainties over the Middle East tensions, statistical ministry data showed Wednesday.

A dealer watches computer monitors at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, May 8, 2026. (File photo: AP)

The number of employed people aged 15 and older gained 74,000, or 0.3 percent, from a year earlier to 28,961,000 in April, marking the slowest increase since December 2024, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

The employment kept an upward trend for a 16 straight month since January 2025.

Despite the continued expansion, the job growth slowed on the back of the Middle East tensions, leading to higher oil prices and weaker consumer demand.

The overall job growth was driven by the elderly. The number of jobs for those aged 60 and older expanded 189,000 in April on a yearly basis, while the figures for those in their 30s and 50s swelled 84,000 and 11,000 each.

Employment among those in their 20s and 40s reduced 195,000 and 17,000 each in the cited month.

The number of jobs in the health and social welfare service, the arts, sports and leisure service, and the real estate industries went up 261,000, 54,000 and 49,000 respectively.

Employment among manufacturers declined 55,000 in April from a year earlier, maintaining a downward trend for a 22nd successive month.

Jobs lost in the construction industry reached 8,000, continuing to go down for a 24th consecutive month.

Employment in the science and technology service sector tumbled 115,000 last month, posting the fastest reduction since relevant data began to be compiled in 2013.

The number of regular workers and daily laborers advanced 62,000 and 22,000, respectively, while the number of irregular employees diminished 127,000.

The number of the self-employed who hired employees gained 99,000, and the figure for the self-employed without workers grew 41,000.

Employment rate for those aged 15 and older slipped 0.2 percentage points over the year to 63.0 percent in April, while the OECD-method hiring rate for those aged 15-64 added 0.1 percentage point to 70.0 percent.

The number of unemployed people totaled 853,000 in April, down 2,000 from a year earlier. Unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.9 percent.

The expanded jobless rate dipped 0.4 percentage points to 8.3 percent in the cited month, while the corresponding rate for those aged 15-29 was down 0.7 percentage points to 16.1 percent.

The official unemployment rate gauges those who are immediately available for work but failed to get a job for the past four weeks despite efforts to seek a job actively.

The expanded jobless rate, called labor underutilization indicator, adds those who are discouraged from searching for a job, those who work part-time against their will to work full-time, and those who prepare to get a job after college graduation, to the official unemployment rate.

The economically inactive population, who had no willingness to seek a job and remained unemployed, rose 174,000 from a year earlier to 16,152,000 in April.

The reading for discouraged job seekers increased 15,000 to 353,000 last month.

The number of the "take-a-rest" group, who replied that they took a rest during a job survey period, climbed 63,000 to 2,497,000 in the same month.

The take-a-rest group is considered important as it can include those who are too discouraged to seek a job for an extended period.