SEOUL, Jan 11 Reuters South Korea39;s unemployment rate rose to an 11month high in December 2022, while the annual increase in employed people marked the smallest in 21 months, official data showed on Wednesday.

The country39;s seasonallyadjusted unemployment rate for December stood at 3.3, higher than 2.9 in November and the highest since January, according to Statistics Korea.

In the 12 months through December, the number of employed people increased by 509,000, extending a run of yearonyear gains to a 22nd straight month but marking the smallest annual increase since March 2021.

For the year 2022, South Korea39;s annual unemployment rate stood at 2.9, falling from 3.7 in 2021 and the lowest level since the data release started in 2000.

Reporting by Jihoon Lee Editing by Chris Reese

Source Reuters