As of the second quarter of this year, the total workforce in the biohealth industry has reached 1.156 million, reflecting a 2.9% increase compared to the same period last year. According to a report by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the biohealth manufacturing sector—which includes pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics—has seen employment numbers rise to 197,000, marking a 3.3% increase year-on-year. Notably, the cosmetic industry recorded the highest workforce growth rate at 8.8%, with approximately 45,000 employees.
The increase in the cosmetic sector's workforce was evident across all age groups, especially among those aged 29 and under (+9.9%) and those in their 30s (+9.0%), indicating a trend toward expanding employment opportunities for the youth.
While the overall manufacturing workforce experienced a slight decline compared to the previous year, the biohealth manufacturing sector continued its growth trend with a 3.3% increase. In the healthcare services sector, the workforce grew 2.8%, mirroring the overall service industry growth rate of 2.7%.
In the pharmaceutical sector, the workforce numbered 87,000, representing a 2.0% increase year-on-year, primarily driven by the manufacturing of synthetic drugs and other finished pharmaceutical products. Despite a decrease in the under-29 workforce (-4.4%), this demographic remains a significant part of the biohealth sector's employment.
Within the medical device industry, the workforce reached 65,000, reflecting a 1.4% increase. Growth was noted in sectors producing other medical devices (+2.7%) and related products (+4.0%), although there was a 4.5% decline in the dental equipment manufacturing workforce. Employment in mid to large-sized enterprises increased, further enlarging the employment base.
Healthcare service employment totaled 960,000, reflecting a 2.8% increase from the previous year. The employment trajectory remained positive across all sizes of establishments, although the overall growth rate appeared to be moderated as the scale of employment grew.
In total, 9,688 new jobs were created in the biohealth sector during the second quarter, with healthcare services accounting for 8,489 of these jobs (87.6%). The pharmaceutical sector created 436 jobs, the cosmetics industry 398 jobs, and the medical device sector contributed 365 jobs.
Choi Young-im, Chief of the Biohealth Innovation Planning Division, remarked, "Despite a decline in overall manufacturing employment, the biohealth manufacturing sector has shown relative strength in job growth. The pharmaceutical sector demonstrates a high proportion of young employees, while the cosmetics industry continues to see substantial job growth among individuals in their 20s and 30s, indicating a positive trend in youth employment." She also emphasized, "The expansion of youth employment is a critical indicator of the sector's ongoing growth and stability, and we will closely monitor further changes in employment demographics and workforce structure."
