Despite the South Korean government's efforts to boost the job market, the latest employment report shows the overall situation remains grim.
According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of newly employed people in 2018 increased by 97-thousand compared to the previous year.
Those are the lowest figures since 2009 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
Statistics Korea attributed the lower numbers to slower population growth and the sluggish manufacturing and auto industries.
The overall unemployment rate for 2018 was 3-point-8 percent... its highest in almost 20 years.