Korea added 234,000 jobs in February, marking the fastest year-on-year growth in five months, though a slump in youth employment and the construction sector persisted, data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people rose by 0.8 percent from a year earlier to 28.41 million last month, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. It marks the largest year-on-year gain since adding 312,000 jobs in September 2024. Despite the overall rise, the data underscored a prolonged downturn in the manufacturing and construction sectors. Youth employment declined for the 22nd consecutive month in February, highlighting ongoing challenges for young job seekers.