The number of people employed by a business posted a decline for the first time at the end of last month due to the economic shock resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Tuesday, the number of people who work for a business that has more than one employee stood at nearly 18-point-28 million at the end of March. That’s down by some 225-thousand, or one-point-two percent, from the same period last year.  

It marked the first time for such a figure to slip on-year since related statistics began to be compiled in June 2009.  

In particular, the data found that the employment shock resulting from the pandemic dealt a severe blow to non-regular workers and people who work in businesses centered on face-to-face customer services. 

By region, Daegu saw the sharpest decline in such workers followed by Busan, North Gyeongsang Province, Gangwon Province and Daejeon.  

Compared to February when such a decline was witnessed only in Daegu and the Gyeongsang provinces, March saw the employment shock expand to most parts of the country, including Seoul and its surrounding areas.  

The data was based on people who work in businesses that have a fixed workplace. Thus, it did not include people in household services, including babysitters, a well as street vendors and people employed by businesses that don’t have a permanent workplace, including designated drivers.