Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of satisfaction with the marriage support policy on marriage intention among unmarried employed men and women. The study subjects included 300 unmarried working men and women aged over 30 years residing in the Seoul metropolitan area. First, according to the analysis of the subjects' overall tendency towards satisfaction with the marriage support policy and towards marriage intention, the marriage support policy gained the highest level of support in relation to housing for newlywed couples, which scored 3.29 (sd=.93), followed by improvements in corporate and family culture for the purposes of work-family compatibility at 3.24 (sd=.95), wedding loans at 3.18 (sd=1.01), and the paid leave system for marriage preparation at 3.12 (sd=.88). These variables scored slightly higher than the median 3 points. Conversely, satisfaction with the availability of marriage-related information and the provision of opportunities for dating scored 2.65 (sd=.88) and 2.78 (sd=.80), respectively, both of which were slightly lower than the median of 3. The overall mean score for satisfaction with the marriage support policy was 3.03 (sd=.95), which was slightly higher than the median of 3. In regards to marriage intention, the score was 3.32 (sd=1.15) points out of a perfect score of 5, which was slightly higher than the median. This indicated a slightly higher level in terms of the subjects' intention to marry. Second, a hierarchical regression analysis was performed to identify the effect of satisfaction with the marriage support policy on marriage intention among unmarried employed adults. Sociodemographic variables were entered as control variables in the regression at the first stage, and variables relating to satisfaction in a family-friendly social environment were entered at the second stage. When gender, age, educational level, monthly income, period of employment, working hours, and type of employment were inserted in the first stage of regression as control variables, gender, monthly income, period of employment, and type of employment were found to have a significant effect on marriage intention. Marriage intention was found to be greater in unmarried men with higher monthly incomes and longer periods spent working, and in unmarried working men and women engaged in tenured employment work. When variables relating to satisfaction with the marriage support policy were inserted in the second stage of regression, gender, monthly income, type of employment, and satisfaction with direct marriage support had significant effects on marriage intention. It was found that marriage intention was greater in unmarried men whose monthly income was higher, whose employment type was tenured work, and who showed greater satisfaction with direct marriage support.