Fewer workers live in major cities, while more work there, widening gap by nearly 30% in two years

Fewer employed people now live in Seoul, Busan and other major South Korean cities, while more people work there. The gap between residential and workplace employment in those areas widened by nearly 30% over two years.

An analysis of the National Data Office’s regional employment survey found that the number of employed residents in 75 districts across seven special and metropolitan cities fell from 11.612 million in the first half of 2024 to 11.565 million this year. That was a decline of 47,000 people.

By contrast, the number of employed people counted by workplace location rose from about 11.998 million to 12.065 million over the same period, an increase of 67,000. In other words, the cities gained more workers than they had employed residents.

The workplace-based employment figure is calculated from the local economically active population. That population includes people working at businesses in the area, the unemployed and people outside the labor force. The calculation excludes local residents who are unemployed or outside the labor force.