SEOUL, May 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's wage worker growth slowed for the third consecutive quarter in the fourth quarter of last year, statistical office data showed Friday.
The number of wage and salary workers stood at 20,456,000 in the October-December quarter, up 491,000 from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
The fourth-quarter growth slowed for the third straight quarter from 752,000 in the first quarter to 628,000 in the second quarter and 597,000 in the third quarter.
The number of paid workers among those aged 60 or higher increased 284,000 in the fourth quarter, but the figure for those in their 20s or lower reduced 36,000.
The readings for those in their 50s and 40s climbed 147,000 and 63,000 respectively.
Jobs in the construction, health and social welfare and manufacturing industries gained 121,000, 78,000 and 72,000 each in the fourth quarter. ■