• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-38
• /
• 2005

Our paper aims to estimate a household consumption function in the presence of liquidity constraints as well as household characteristics. Empirical findings from a Korean cross-sectional data (National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure) reveal that several family characteristics, such as household size, number of working members, children in school, and educational level and age of the household head, turn out to be critical determinants of household consumption. Especially, the influence of household size on consumption decision is shown to be highly significant, not only indirectly through its impact on household income, but also directly by affecting the household's preference for consumption itself. While, the other family characteristics primarily influences household income. Our paper distinguishes itself from existing literature in that it greatly improves the explanatory power of the estimated household consumption function by measuring the degree of the liquidity constraint rather than simply identifying its presence. Based on the assumption that the present value of human capital is a function of household characteristics, the degree of the liquidity constraint is represented by the underestimated portion of the human capital. Such a method of implementing the liquidity constraint is useful in treating various types of assets according to their liquidity. Finally, our estimated household consumption function is applied to decompose cross-sectional variances of consumption inequality. The analysis confirms that the overall alleviation in liquidity constraints in Korea after the 1997 currency crisis reduced consumption inequality despite the worsening of income inequality and changes in the demographic composition of family characteristics during the same period.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.319-325
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The relativity of factors between low vision and socioeconomic status were investigated. This study represented the preliminary data for establishment of public eye health policy. Further, this report would encourage people to change the social attitudes about the eye health equity of the nation. Methods: The number of people (2,514 people) who have been tested the forced visual activity were examined as it was referred the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNE) of 2009-year data. The prevalence rate of low vision of subjects which are related with house income, education level and occupations were conducted with ttest and chi square test. Besides, the Binominal Logistic Regression was conducted to measure the odds ratio of the subjects. Results: In outline, the prevalence rate of low vision was high with low house income, low education level and low function. The odds ratio represented that 2.77(95% CI, 1.72-4.47) at low house income group and 4.02(95% CI, 1.75-9.23) at the case of below primary school education level. Moreover, the results of unemployed group showed 3.65(1.14-11.68) from the odds ratio measurement. Conclusions: The eye health policy need be instituted which is broad and meticulous support to ease the eye health equity of low eye sight patients. For instance, the education about eye health, examination business of eye disease, and education of assistant units which are useful for low eye sight would suggest practical solution.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.35-60
• /
• 2016

This study analyzes the unequal distributional effect of threesome of family policy(child benefit, childcare services and parental leave) focusing on family income, mother's status in labor market in Korea. To measure the unequal distributional effect of family policies, this study used the quantile analysis. The results of this study are as follows. First, in terms of childcare service and parental leave, there is some difference of the rate of use by family income and mother's status in labor market. Second, total public fund for childcare services, child benefits and parental leave are high in fourth income quintile, and mothers work regularly. Third, public fund is high in fourth income quintile, dual earners, mothers work regularly, the family has many number of child, and is high educational level of parents. Finally, the results of quantile regression show the biggest factors of unequal distribution of family policy are mother's stable work and it deepens the inequalities and differences. Based on these results, this article suggests that more equal right to access and use family policy regardless of the type of employment, adequate minimum income through income transfer, and universal application of the policy.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.209-217
• /
• 2011

Purpose: In this study, eye-health inequity was investigated by analyzing the relationship between household incomes and eye-health of senior citizens. Further, this study suggested the preliminary data for establishment of public eye-health policy in order to improve low income senior citizens' life quality. Methods: The data from the 2009 Survey of Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination were analyzed in this study. The objectives of the KNHNE survey were over 65 year old group (1,668 people). Main factors of eye-health (visual acuity, cataract, pterygium, intraocular pressure, retinophathy, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinophathy, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and anisometropia prevalence) were analyzed with t-test and chi square test. Results: Low income group revealed that refractive error rate and intraocular pressure were low, however, naked eye visual acuity and corrected visual acuity were high at 0.1 to less than 0.5. On the other hands, in the high income group, there was high prevalence of hyperopia. Cataract mainly occurred at low income group besides group which maximum corrected visual acuity was below 0.8 also highly showed cataract. Moreover, the prevalence of cataract showed that it related with smoking, drinking, occupation, and education level. Conclusions: Results revealed that there was inequity of eye-health which related with socioeconomic status of the elderly. Especially, the prevalence of cataract was correlated with life quality. Consequently, establishment of public eye-health policy seems to be required for eye-health inequity of low income senior citizens.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.51-83
• /
• 2018

This study examines whether the widening gap between income groups is worsening in the distribution of time use, similar to the worsening of income distribution after the IMF. To do this, we conducted multilevel analysis (HLM) on six countries including France, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Korea. The results of the analysis are as follows. First, in all countries, low income groups have a longer paid working time and shorter leisure time. Second, the low income groups in Korea have the longest paid work time and the shortest leisure time, the lowest level of work-leisure balance, and this aspect has not recovered since the IMF. Third, as the result of multilevel analysis, the lower the household income, the more time paid labor increased and the work-leisure balance decreased. Fourth, while average annual working hours increase paid working time, the expansion of family policy expenditure, redistribution policy and income maintenance policy has reduced it. Fifth, the annual average working hours decreased the work-leisure balance, but the family policy expenditure, the redistribution policy and the income guarantee policy increased the work-leisure balance. The significance of this study is that after the IMF, not only the income distribution but also the inequality among the income class in time use has deepened. Based on the results of the research this study suggests the reinforcement of labor time regulation, the activation of parental leave system, the realization of the income replacement rate, the expansion of the policy related to income redistribution, and the complementary development of the income guarantee and the time guarantee policy as the policy intervention strategy that restructures time.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.5-27
• /
• 2004

This study estimates the role of public and private income transfer to the income status of women who experienced marital disruption. In detail, this study estimates five major subjects (1) women's socioeconomic background, (2) income and poverty status, (3) family income composition, (4) the anti-poverty effect of public and private income transfers, and (5) factors associated with women's poverty status. Major findings of the study are as follows: First, women's socioeconomic characteristics, income status, and poverty status are different according to what types of marital disruption (separation, divorce, death of spouse) they experienced. Second, the role of public and private income transfers to reduce women's poverty are also different according to their marital status. Third, widow's working condition and the level of public assistance are significantly associated with the poverty status of widow.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.189-207
• /
• 2013

This study was to examine current situations and factors related to private learning expenses. A household survey involving a nationally representative sample of 976 households and 1,648 3-5 year old children was conducted. The questionnaire was comprised of two parts; the first part investigated the demographic and socio-economic status of the parents. The second part inquired as to the type and cost of private education, during the month of June, 2012. Data were analyzed by chi-square, one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analyses. The findings of the study were: First, 86.7% of parents of pre-school children used private learning. Second, private learning expenses were estimated to be 129,700 Won for 3~5 year old children. And older children and children from higher income and full-time homemaker families used more private learning. Thirds, Income and the child's age affected private learning expenses. Policy measures were suggested based on the findings as follows: Institutional infrastructure should be established: Strong support for national curriculum and the development and dissemination of special programs is needed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.11-22
• /
• 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to distance learning in primary and secondary school. Little has been known whether home ICTs environment is appropriate for the distance learning. This paper aims to assess the current state of ICTs environment at home for the distance learning of children. Using 2012 and 2019 Korean Media Panel Survey, we investigated the number of smart devices owned by households and found differences in ownership by household characteristics. The results showed that the majority of household owned more than one smart devices per child. However, the difference in the proportion of households with less than one device per child varied depending on whether smartphone was included in smart devices. These results imply that public intervention is needed to prevent educational inequality caused by the home ICTs environment for the distance learning.

• Journal of Labour Economics
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.31-57
• /
• 2019

This paper investigates the determinants of household splitting and offers the implication on relative poverty. Household splitting is more likely among high-income households, and also ensued by an increase in the number of job holders and household income, which indicate that household splitting has the nature of a normal good. A counter-factual analysis suggests that the relative poverty rate ould have been only one-third to one-eighth of the actual rate among the old households if they had lived together with their children. These results indicate that the social policy toward the old households without due consideration on the children's financial capability is quite likely to bring about the inefficiency of wasting tax money on essentially non-poor households.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.57 no.1
• /
• pp.271-297
• /
• 2005

Since the 1980s, the western welfare states have experienced a wide spectrum of socio-economic changes; changes in population composition, the economic globalization, the post-industrialization, an increasing flexibility in the labor market. etc. This study examines the trend of poverty in welfare states, and analyzes how those socio-economic changes are related to it. For these purposes, this study first calculates the poverty indices for several years in 10 welfare states using the Luxembourg Income Study database, and then decomposes the index by subpopulation and income sources. Major findings of this study can be summarized as follows. First of all, the welfare state in general has experienced an increasing trend in the degree of poverty since the 1980s. In particular, poverty has greatly intensified in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Many other welfare states including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Norway have also experienced substantial increases in poverty. The increasing trend of poverty is not wholly due to changes in population composition such as increases in the aging population and one-parent(mother) families. Contrary to the traditional belief, these population groups are not as much poor as the working-age population. In particular, the degree of poverty in the elderly is less severe than in the working-age group. Furthermore, since the 1980s the market income poverty in the aging population has shown a decreasing trend in many welfare states. The degree and trend of poverty in one-parent families vary greatly across countries, owing to the labor market and income transfer policies. The most important reason for the increasing poverty trend in the welfare state is that the degree of poverty has been deepening in the working-age population. Especially, the market income poverty of the working-age population has considerably increased in every country except the Netherlands. Structural changes in the economy and the labor market may drive the increasing trend of poverty. Further studies and deliberate anti-poverty policies are needed to tackle the factors relating to the increase in the market income poverty.