• 한국사회정책
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.113-150
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• 2017

This study analyzes how workers become impoverished and have their jobs less stabilized after they suffer from non-job-related sickness. Given that South Korea lacks sickness benefits, which most of OECD member states legislate and implement except US and Switzerland, this study examines its impact on laborers' job stability and povertization in Korea. The researchers have conducted in-depth interviews with nine former or present laborers who have the experiences and four experts on the issue in July-September, 2017 for the qualitative analysis. It is found that laborers, after becoming aware of their sickness, at first endure their pain without informing their employers not to lose their jobs. The attititude is observed especially among non-standard laborers, because sickness more often leads to job loss for them than for standard laborers. After workers have to leave their jobs due to their sickness in the end, they have no choice but to keep working in less stable jobs to compensate for income losses. They become gradually impoverished with their social capital like family bond declining. We observe laborers who are eligible for industrial accident insurance compensation could not benefit from the system because some employers refrain from the legal reporting duty. Due to this illegal practices, some industrial accident victims unduly lose their jobs due to "non-job-related sickness". Second, some employers report to the authority that their sick laborers have left their jobs 'voluntarily' even when they have quitted it without their volition, in which case the newly unemployed are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Large holes in Korea's safety nets for those suffering from multiple risks of sickness and unemployment.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.240-247
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• 2022

Background: Although insomnia and constipation are highly prevalent worldwide, studies examining a possible association between them are lacking. We examined the relationship between insomnia and constipation in shift workers who have a high prevalence of insomnia and other diseases. Methods: This study had a multicenter cross-sectional design and conducted using health examination data including self-reported questionnaires. In total, 12,879 and 4,650 shift workers were enrolled in Severance Hospital and Wonju Severance Hospital, respectively, during 2015-2017. Multivariate logistic regression models and subgroup analysis were performed in each center with the same protocol, using a common data model. Results: The mean age of the total population was 44.35 (standard deviation = 8.75); the proportion of males was 56.9%. Female sex, being underweight and non-smoker were strongly associated with an increased risk of constipation symptom (p < 0.001). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using ORs of both centers with weights; there was a significant dose-response relationship (sub-threshold 1.76 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.62-1.91]; moderate 2.28 [95% CI 2.01-2.60]; severe 4.15 [95% CI 3.18-5.41] in the final model, p for trend < 0.001). Subgroup analysis performed by stratifying sex and pooled ORs showed a similar trend to that of the entire group. Conclusion: We observed a strong correlation between insomnia and constipation in this population. Our findings may help in formulating guidelines and policies to improve quality of life in shift workers through the management of sleep quality and proper bowel function. This study is the first to report this relationship among people working in shifts.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.29-59
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• 2018

This paper examines the achievements and limitations of the Moon Jae-In administration's first-year policies on non-standard employment in the public sector of Korea. The most remarkable achievement was that the transition rate of non-standard to standard positions reached the highest historical level of 42.1 percent, mainly by including for the first time temporary agency workers as a target of those policies. There also have been many steps taken to relax the qualification for transition, reduce the number of exception clauses, and expand union participation. In contrast, policy measures to address problems of low wages and inequality were very limited and not significantly different from those of previous administrations. As a result, the success of the policy paradigm shift pursued by Moon's administration will be determined by how aggressive measures are being taken in the next policy steps to improve such problems of low wages and inequality.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.201-237
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• 2016

This paper focuses on Korean and Japanese female workers participating in the outside (secondary) labour market, especially with an attention given to two aspects. First, we explain how females are 'more outsiders' than males in the labour market. Secondly, we investigate M-shape in the female labour market participation by focusing on different proportion of non-standard worker. Then, in order to explain why women keep on being more concentrated in the outer side of the labour market, we examine the development of three policies in Korea and Japan since 1990s. Labour market deregulation policy, female employment policy and lastly, family policy are examined as institutional arrangement. Lastly, we discuss on how institutional combination is associated with females' concentration in the outside labour market in Korean and Japanese dual labour market.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.115-122
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• 2006

Objectives : This study was conducted to examine the relationships of the several socioeconomic position indicators with the mortality risk in a representative longitudinal study of South Korea. Methods : The 1998 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was conducted on a cross-sectional probability sample of South Korean households, and it contained unique 13-digit personal identification numbers that were linked to the data on mortality from the National Statistical Office of Korea. Of 5,607 males and females, 264 died between 1999 and 2003. Cox's regression was used to estimate the relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of mortality. Results: Socioeconomic differences in mortality were observed after adjustments were made for gender and age. Compared with those people having college or higher education, those people without any formal education had a greater mortality risk (RR=2.21, 95% CI=1.12-4.40). The mortality risk among manual workers was significantly greater than that for the non-manual workers (RR=2.73, 95% CI=1.47-5.06). A non-standard employment status was also associated with an increase in mortality: temporary or daily workers had a greater mortality risk than did the full-time workers (RR=3.01, 95% CI=1.50-6.03). The mortality risk for the low occupational class was 3.06 times greater than that of the high and middle occupational classes (95% CI=1.75-5.36). In addition, graded mortality differences according to equivalized monthly household income were found. A reduction of monthly household income by 500 thousand Korean Won (about 400 US dollars) was related with a 20% excess risk of mortality. Self-reported poor living standards were also associated with an increased risk of mortality. Those without health insurance had a 3.63 times greater risk of mortality than the insured (95% CI=1.61-8.19). Conclusions: This study showed the socioeconomic differentials in mortality in a national longitudinal study of South Korea. The existence of socioeconomic mortality inequalities requires increased social discussion on social policies in Korean society. Furthermore, the mechanisms for the socioeconomic inequalities of mortality need to be explored in future studies.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.153-161
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• 2009

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate 1) blood lead levels of workers at auto repair shops as Biological Exposure Indices (BEI) of toxic substances such as lead and toluene that are produced during automotive painting process, 2) the differences depending on personal characteristics of workers who have been exposed to toluene by using urine hippuric acid concentration as a marker and 3) the correlation between the concentration of hazardous chemicals in each workplace and the BEL. All subjects were male with a mean age of 36.2 years. In terms of age, most were in the 30 to 40 age group (13 persons, 48.1%). In relation to the length of work experience, the highest proportion had experience of 10 years of less (18 persons, 66.7%). Twenty three workers were cigarette smokers (85.2%) while 4 (14.8%) were non-smokers. In addition, more than 80% of the workers drank alcohol. Dust concentration and toluene exposure during automotive painting showed no significant difference with age, length of work experience, smoking and drinking while a significant difference (p<0.05) has been detected between lead concentration and smoking. The geometric mean of dust concentration, lead concentration and toluene concentration were $0.38mg/m^3,\;0.0021mg/m^3$ and 1.08ppm respectively. In addition, the geometric mean of blood lead levels and urine hippuric acid concentration were $1.70{\mu}g/dl$ and 0.25g/g respectively, which were lower than the standard levels suggested by the Ministry of Labor. To determine the influential factors on blood lead and urine hippuric acid concentrations, a correlation analysis has been conducted with variables of air, lead and toluene concentrations, age, length of work experience and amount of cigarette smoking. According to the analysis, a relatively high correlation (p<0.01) has been observed between air lead concentration and biological sample concentration.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.238-247
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• 2020

This study has a purpose to analyze quantitatively whether ICT industry provides the qualitative indicator of employment to attract excellent human resources. We investigate the relationships of labor market conditions among ICT manufacturing, non-ICT manufacturing, ICT services, non-ICT services. Therefore, the quantitative and qualitative indicators of employment (wages, working hours, admission and turnover, involuntary retirement, and the duration years of job) are analyzed for the ICT industry and IT workers. In order to quantitatively analyze qualitative indicators such as employment status and longevity, we used employment statistics. In order to compensate for the limitations of employment insurance data, the comparison analysis with the survey data of economically active population of the National Statistical Office was conducted. As a result of this research, ICT service industry has to improve the working conditions of employees and establish an ecosystem for a lifelong career base to grow as a specialist, need to pursue an investigation for ICT worker career shift, and promote standard labor contracts. In addition, protection of employees, ICT-related job vision and social respect have to be perused.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.4 s.55
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• pp.785-799
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• 1996

We investigated the 1,004 workers who worked in a automobile factory to study the epidemiologic characterists of dermatoses due to cutting oils. Among the workers, 667(66.4%) answered the questionaire. They are belong to 5 departments of the factory-the Engine-Work(258 workers), Gasoline engine Assembly(210), Diesel engine Assembly(96), Power train Work(86), Power train Assembly(17). We measured the oil mist concentration in air of the departments and examined the workers who had dermatologic symptoms. The results were follows; 1) Oil mist concentration ; Of all measured points(52),9 points(17.2%) exeeded $5mg/m^3$- the time-weighed PEL-and one department had a upper confidence limit(95%) higher than $5mg/m^3$. 2) Dermatologists examined 213 workers. 172 of them complained any skin symptoms at that time - itching(32.5%), papule(21.6%), scale(15.7%), vesicle(12.5%) in order. The abnormal skin site found by dermatologist were palm(29.3%), finger & nail(24.6%), forearm(16.2%), back of hand(8.4%) in order. 3) As the result of physical examination, we found that 160 workers had skin diseases. Contact dermatitis was the most common; 69 workers had contact dermatitis alone(43.1%), 11 had contact dermatitis with acne(6.9%), 10 had contact dermatitis with folliculitis(6.3%), 1 had contact dermatitis with acne & folliculitis, and 1 had contact dermatitis with abnormal pigmentation. Others were folliculitis(9 workers, 5.6%), acne(8, 5.0%), folliculitis & acne (2, 1.2%), keratosis(1, 0.6%), abnormal pigmentation (1, 0.6%), and non-specific hand eczema (47, 29.3%). 4) The prevalence of any skin diseases was 34.0 pet 100 in cutting oil users, and 13.3 per 100 in non- users. Especially, the prevalence of contact dermatitis was 23.0 per 100 in cutting oil users and 23.0 per 100 in non-users. 5) We tried patch test(standard serise, oil serise, organic solvents) on 49 patients to differentiate allergic contact dermatitis from irritant contact dermatitis and found 20 were positive. 6) In a multivariate analysis(independant=age, tenure, kinds of cutting oil), the risk of skin diseases was higher in the water-based cutting oil user and both oil user than non-user or neat oil user(odds ratio were 2.16 and 2.78, respectively). And the risk of contact dermatitis was much higher at the same groups(odds ratio were 5.16 and 6.82, respectively).

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.160-167
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• 2021

The authors of the article investigate the impact of digitalization on the forms change of employment and the labor market in the modern conditions. It is substantiated that digitalization processes directly affect the change of forms of employment and the range of occupations in the labor market, as well as the change of jobs. The positive and negative consequences of changing forms of employment for the economy in the process of digital transformation are analyzed, which include: reduction of personnel costs by employers; dissemination of non-standard, informal employment (electronic freelance, electronic outsourcing, start-employment); enabling employees to manage their working hours; increasing unemployment and imbalance of supply and demand in the labor market; reduction of productivity of enterprises, as a result of reduced productivity of workers with non-standard forms of employment, or with a negative indirect impact on productivity. A model for managing the process of digitalization in the labor market of Ukraine under different scenarios of their implementation, namely evolutionary and forced is devoted. To recognize the possible change in the level of employment in connection with the implementation of the forced scenario of digitalization in Ukraine, a model for estimating probable changes in the labor market is proposed. The directions of development of the state strategy of prevention of risks of reduction of number of workplaces in the course of digitalization are outlined.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.253-283
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• 2009

This study examined empirically the effect mechanism of labor market structure on access to social insurance. Data were derived from the second wave of Korea Welfare Panel Study in 2007 with a sub-sample of 3,790 of wage workers. Path analysis and structural equation model were used to analyze the effect mechanism. Findings confirmed the inequality of labor market by revealing high causal relationships among occupations and jobs, size of the firm, employment forms, and income. The results suggest that access to social insurance depends on the structural interaction of labor market rather than on the individual worker's trait. Small enterprises and non-standard employment were indicated as the main element explaining the unequal access to social insurance. Finally this study identified women's experience of intensive inequalities in the labor market status and access to social insurance.