S. Korea's wage jobs rise 292,000 in Q1, led by welfare, hospitality sectors

South Korea added 292,000 wage jobs in the first quarter of 2026, driven by gains in the health and social welfare, accommodation, and food service sectors, while manufacturing and construction lost ground, official data showed Monday. The number of salaried jobs stood at 20.82 million as of February, up 292,000 from a year earlier, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said. According to the latest findings, 74 percent of the jobs were held by the same workers as a year earlier, while 15.3 percen