The unemployment rate for middle-aged people in South Korea rose sharply in the second quarter... to surpass that of the United States for the first time in almost 20 years.<br />According to the OECD and Statistics Korea, the jobless rate in Q-2 for people aged 55 to 64 came to 2-point-9 percent, up 0-point-4 percentage points on year.<br />This is higher than the figure for the U.S., which was 2-point-7 percent.<br />Generally, countries with a bigger working-age population, like the U.S., tend to have a higher unemployment rate.<br />Analysts attribute the rise to the overall economic slowdown in Korea... and an increase in the number of economically active... older people. <br />
