The number of self-employed workers has decreased slightly compared to last year.<br />And among the economically inactive population, the number of those that do not wish to work at all was the highest on record.<br />Our Hong Yoo reports.<br />The self-employed population for the month of August was 6-point-79 million, a drop of 0-point-9 percent compared to the same period last year.<br />The number of self-employed workers in wholesale and retail fell by 55-thousand, and personal service and telecommunication businesses saw a drop of 30-thousand.<br />By age, the number of self-employed people in their forties fell by more than 130-thousand on the back of a sluggish performance by the manufacturing and wholesale and retail sectors.<br />The number of self-employed people in their fifties also saw a large drop due to the closure of self-employed businesses.<br />Statistics Korea says that the economic downturn has dampened consumer sentiment which has led to the closure of self-employed businesses that were already struggling.<br />The proportion of self-employed people who employ workers dropped by 7 percent on-year.<br />The economically inactive population, which includes homemakers, students and those who can't or won't work, grew by one percent from last year to more than 16-million.<br />And the number of those who are taking a break from working hit a record high of 2-point-1 million.<br />The agency says this is due to a change of people's perspective about not working, with people giving themselves time for self-development to prepare for the next step in their lives.<br />Hong Yoo, Arirang News.<br />
