S.Korea's unemployment rate hits 21-year high in January

The sharp deterioration in the labour market contrasts with the view that South Korea's economy has been one of the best performers in the developed world last year. - Bloomberg

SEOUL (Reuters): South Korea's unemployment rate soared to a 21-year high in January, while the number of people employed fell at the sharpest pace in more than two decades, as curbs to contain the coronavirus continue to hurt the job market.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped to 5.4% in January, the highest since 1999, data from the Statistics Korea showed.