A rapidly graying population is changing the look of Korea’s labor force, with the average age of workers approaching 40, according to government data.

Workers’ age averaged 39.6 in 2011, up from 36.5 in 2001, according to a report released Sunday by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

In 2001, young workers, aged 15-29, were the biggest demographic group in the labor pool, with their number coming to 4.27 million. This group has shrunk by 15.6 percent over the past decade to 3.6 million, while workers in their 50s more than doubled in number, going from 1.46 million in 2001 to 3.02 million in 2011.

Workers in their 40s grew more than 50 percent from 3.08 million to 4.66 million during the period.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)