The number of South Koreans who are able to work but choose not to reached an all-time-high in the first quarter.

According to Statistics Korea on Saturday, the number of people among the economically nonactive population who say they have "rested" jumped 107-thousand to over one-point-95 million between January and March compared to the same period last year.

This figure is the highest since 2003 when records began to be compiled.

It's also the first time the figure has surpassed one-point-nine million.

The number of people resting without work has been rising by more than 100-thousand for the last three quarters.

The growth is especially evident among those aged 50 and older, which is believed to reflect worsening conditions in temporary or day-to-day jobs as many older people are hired for these positions.

This particular demographic refers to those who are able to work but choose not to for no particular reason. They are not included among the economically active and therefore not categorized as unemployed in statistical terms.