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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

One in three women who experienced career breaks earn only minimum wage

From Hankyoreh · (4m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A study reveals that women who have experienced career breaks are more likely to be employed in lower-quality jobs with significantly lower wages upon re-entry into the workforce.
  • The analysis, based on national employment survey data, indicates a 'stigma effect' where career interruptions negatively impact working conditions and pay.
  • The research highlights that approximately one in three women with career breaks earn only minimum wage, and their employment is often concentrated in precarious, low-paying sectors.

A recent analysis published by the Hankyoreh sheds light on the persistent inequalities faced by women in South Korea's labor market, particularly those who have experienced career interruptions. The study, conducted by Jeong Gyeong-yun, a senior researcher at the Democratic Labor Institute, reveals a stark reality: women who have taken time off for reasons such as childcare are significantly disadvantaged when they seek to re-enter the workforce.

Career interruption is a structural event that comprehensively lowers the quality of employment after re-employment.

— Jeong Gyeong-yunSenior researcher at the Democratic Labor Institute, explaining the long-term impact of career breaks on women's employment.

The findings indicate a clear hierarchy in employment quality, with men at the top, followed by women without career breaks, and then women who have experienced career interruptions at the bottom. This 'stigma effect' means that even after returning to work, these women face poorer working conditions and lower wages compared to their male counterparts and even women who have not had career breaks. The disparity is particularly acute, with roughly one in three women with career breaks earning only the minimum wage.

Women who have experienced career interruptions are concentrated in low-wage, small businesses and are often left in the blind spots of labor relations laws. The impact of the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) also risks concentrating on them.

— Jeong Gyeong-yunSenior researcher at the Democratic Labor Institute, highlighting the precarious situation of women with career breaks and potential future risks.

This situation is deeply rooted in the societal structure that places the burden of caregiving predominantly on women. The research points to a 'care penalty,' where the social perception of care work as less valuable, combined with rigid gender role stereotypes, translates into tangible economic disadvantages in the labor market. The Hankyoreh emphasizes that this is not merely an individual issue but a systemic one, requiring structural changes, stronger legal protections, and a societal shift towards gender equality in labor. The article implicitly critiques the superficial focus on rising employment rates for women, arguing that the quality of employment and equitable treatment remain critical, unaddressed challenges.

A life-cycle approach, strengthening the effectiveness of laws and systems, and structural changes for the realization of gender-equal labor are necessary.

— Jeong Gyeong-yunSenior researcher at the Democratic Labor Institute, proposing solutions to address the employment inequality faced by women with career breaks.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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