The easing of COVID-19 restrictions brought an influx of non-professional workers and international students while the number of foreigners employed in the country hit a record high.

According to a report on immigration and employment released by Statistics Korea on Monday, the number of foreign residents aged 15 or older reached one-point-43 million, an increase of 129-thousand or nine-point-nine percent on-year.

The number of employed foreign nationals increased by 80-thousand, or nine-point-five percent, to a record 923-thousand.

Both the number of foreign residents and foreign workers reached an all-time high since related statistics were first compiled in 2012, while the on-year increase was also the largest.

By age groups, foreigners in their 30s increased by 30-thousand from the previous year to 308-thousand, accounting for 33-point-three percent of the total foreigner population, while those in their 30s and younger accounted for 55-point-five percent of the relevant employment figure.