Bank of Korea: 94% of Youth Unemployment in Past 4 Years Stemmed from AI High-Exposure Industries

According to the "BOK Issue Note" report released by the High Employment Research Team of the Bank of Korea Survey Bureau on the 18th, between June 2022 and June 2026, jobs for Korean youth (aged 15-29) decreased by a total of 285,000, of which 268,000 (94%) were concentrated in AI high-exposure industries, involving fields such as information services, publishing, computer programming, and professional services. Meanwhile, employment for the group aged 50 and above increased by 230,000, with 75.2% also coming from AI high-exposure industries. The report pointed out that after the release of ChatGPT, the average unemployment rate for university graduates rose to 7.0%, higher than the 5.4% for youth with associate degrees or below, whereas previously there was almost no difference between the two. The report suggested that policies should focus on building new career ladders to help youth accumulate experience and skills with AI assistance, rather than simply retaining entry-level positions.