As of May 2026, the proportion of young people who have not been able to find a job for more than one year after graduation was 48.6%, the highest since the 2009 financial crisis. The deterioration of the job market and the aftermath of the Middle East war had an impact, and the proportion of civil service exam preparation increased for the first time in five years due to the reduction in new graduate hiring by companies. The trend is that it takes an average of four years and six months to graduate from college, and the proportion of young people who have been unemployed for more than three years has also reached a record high. Responses such as "just spending time" are increasing, indicating that the difficulties faced by young people are intensifying. On the other hand, the most common starting salary was in the 2 million to 3 million won range, and dissatisfaction with working conditions emerged as the main reason for quitting the first job.
