Report on Women Workers in Korea

By Women’s Committee of KCTU, September 2003

Young women in the labor market

1) Employment/ Unemployment

• Women participating in economic activities increase until the mid 20s but because of stoppages in economic activities due to pregnancy and childbirth, barriers in the labor market, and various kinds of discrimination at the workplace, it peaks at 20-24 and then from the late 20s to early 30s decreases. It then increases from the late 30s, forming an M shape on a graph.
• This is why the employment rate for young women is higher than that of women as a whole. Participation rate for the entire workforce(men and women) as of July 2003 is 62.2%, the rate for women aged 15 to 19 is 13.7%(male 10.6%), for women aged 20 to 29 it is 62.3%(male 70.5%). Out of the total unemployment rate of 3.4%, 12.9%(male 17%) of women aged 15 to 19 are unemployed, for ages 20 to 29 it is 5.9%(male 8%).

2) Jobs young women are holding

• Education(kindergarten, primary, middle, high school, and education institute teachers, etc), finance and insurance, sales, food and catering service, nurses, beauty care, etc.

3) Discrimination

recruitment, wages, promotion, job assignment, opportunities, etc.

• Discrimination against women in Korea is not so much a problem of discrimination against young women but more a problem of married women’s access to the labor market being relatively limited. Even in the case of entering the labor market, there is discrimination in terms of wages, position, and promotions.
• Women’s participation rate in economic activities : 49.7%(2003)
• Women’s wages ; 63.9% of the average for men(2002)
• The % of irregular workers such as day-to-day, or temporary workers among women workers ; 66.5%(Trade union’s data: 73%)

Furthermore, married or pregnant women, women who have given birth, women on childcare/maternal leave, and women who have returned from such leaves are laid off or dismissed more easily. Irregular women workers such as contract or temporary workers suffer from lack of legal protection, and the reality of the women workers is that they cannot use their legal leaves even though they are entitled to them. ex.

Jaeneung Education ; Unjust transfer after maternal leave

• Bridge Securities ; Forced retirement during restructuring saying, ̰35 is the retirement age for women.’
• A tendency to put an importance on outward appearance when hiring young women. There also exists discrimination based on level of education. Low-level education for women results in low paying, simple work such as secretary jobs or keeping accounts. For highly educated women, there aren’t many jobs in general. This is because companies are hiring women with a low level of education at low wages rather than highly educated women who cost more.

4) Main problems of young women in labor market

• Unemployment for young people has become a serious problem. For young unemployed women with a college level education, access to jobs is legally and institutionally blocked, and when the economy slows down, it is very hard to find work unless one possesses professional skills.

Young women’s Policies in KCTU

1) Woman union rate(member) in KCTU

• 2003 year—23.8%(150,000) Total 630,000

2) No separate data for young women members.

3) Policies regarding young female members

• Employment quota in the areas of recruitment, employment, and promotion ; Urging action during collective bargaining
• Improvement of legislation for maternity protection ; Extension of leave before and after childbirth.
• Work and childcare, coming up with provisions for childcare at home; Extension of childcare leave, establishment of Family care leave, setting up of childcare facilities at the workplace, etc.
• Education for prevention and harsher punishment for cases of sexual harassment
• Quota within trade union activities
  • Aim : Improve women’s participation and increase number of women union leaders.
  • Method : 30% quota in all decision-making mechanisms within trade union structure
• Support of women’s activities within trade union; Establishment and stable operation of Women’s committees and women’s departments

[Publisher’s note: Statistical tables here omitted because they were in proprietary Word format.]