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US vs South Korea Unemployment
United States moved above South Korea in 1998. In 1991 South Korea stood at roughly 35% of United States’s Unemployment; today the figure is about 64%, and the pair was closest in 2000 (102%).
| Year | United States | South Korea | South Korea as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.8% | 2.41% | 35% |
| 1970 | 6.8% | 2.41% | 35% |
| 1980 | 6.8% | 2.41% | 35% |
| 1990 | 6.8% | 2.41% | 35% |
| 2000 | 3.99% | 4.06% | 102% |
| 2010 | 9.63% | 3.32% | 35% |
| 2020 | 8.06% | 3.93% | 49% |
| 2025 | 4.2% | 2.68% | 64% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States move above South Korea in Unemployment?
In 1998. United States’s published Unemployment rose above South Korea’s that year.
How do United States and Korea, Rep. compare today?
United States is ahead: 4.2% against 2.68% — the trailing economy stands at about 64% of the leader.
Are these Unemployment figures nominal or adjusted?
The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, exactly as the World Bank publishes it; movements are percentage points, not percent.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: