Korea’s youth jobless rate in 2015 soared to 9.2 percent, the highest figure since 1999, largely due to a jump in the number of students becoming job seekers, government data showed Wednesday.

According to Statistics Korea’s annual labor report, the unemployment rate among youth aged 15-29 jumped 0.2 percentage point from a year ago. The hike is attributed to the rising number of students who postponed graduation amid fears of employment prospects or took national examinations to become civil servants surging to the job market amid a prolonged economic slowdown.

The youth unemployment rate hit record highs for both men and women, at 10.6 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively.

Job seekers hunting for four months or longer are considered unemployed.
(Graphic: Nam Kyung-don)