• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.1-29
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• 2013

This paper examines the effect of trade liberalization or globalization, more broadly, on plants' growth as well as on "bi-polarization". To do so, we reviewed the possible theoretical mechanisms put forward by recent heterogeneous firm trade theories, and provided available micro-evidence from existing empirical studies on Korean manufacturing sector. Above all, the empirical evidence provided in this paper strongly suggests that globalization promoted growth of Korean manufacturing plants. Specifically, evidence suggests that exporting not only increases within-plant productivity but also promotes introduction of new products and dropping of old products. However, the empirical evidence also suggest that globalization has some downsides: widening productivity differences across plants and rising wage inequality between skilled and unskilled workers. Specifically, trade liberalization widens the initial productivity differences among plants through learning from export market participation as well as through interactions between exporting and R&D, both of which increase plants' productivity. We also show that there is only a small group of large and productive "superstar" plants engaged in both R&D and exporting activity, which can fully utilize the potential benefits from globalization. Finally, we also show evidence that trade liberalization interacts with innovation to increase the skilled-unskilled wage inequality.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.41-46
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• 2018

This study is based on the opinions of the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Policy Bulletin of the National Intelligence Service (http://www.people.go.kr) The data were visualized, frequency analysis and correlation analysis using the R program Big Data method, and the analysis was conducted by analyzing the public opinion on civil affairs and policies such as industrial relations, industrial safety, wage policy, The results of this study are as follows: First, disagreement of wage concept and labor - management conflict were found as complaints factor due to complex wage structure in Korea and lack of awareness among labor and management Second, And there are various complaints caused by the economic panic of the workers etc. Third, in the absence of safety awareness of small business sites An industrial disaster is constantly occurring, and institutional support for work-family connection is lacking.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.131-141
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• 2001

Purpose: This study were carried out to investigate the difference employment characteristics and job satisfactions by gender and to explore the influences of demographic status and employment characteristics on job satisfaction. Method: Social statistics survey data collected by Ministry of Statistics in 1998 were used for the secondary analysis in the study. Job satisfaction was measured by questionnaire which were consisted in 12 items such as task, promotion, placement, wage, benefits, future in the work, working environment, human relationship, working hours. Result: The results show that more than 50% of women were working as a part-time employees. Their education level were lower than men. Women workers were unmarried at higher percents than men. Men were showed more satisfaction significantly in their job than women. Men also had higher job satisfaction with work task, promotion, placement, and human relation. Women had shown higher job satisfaction with wage, working environment, and employer-employee relationship. Employment status had the most important factor on the job satisfaction. And, living status satisfaction, education, age, occupation, marital status, employment status and sex were significant for the job satisfaction. 33.34% of the variance in the job satisfaction were accounted for by these variables. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there were difference of job satisfaction between gender and employment status was the most predictive factors on the job satisfaction. Women had more unstable employment status such as part-time, employment on probation, or family employer without wage than men. Stability of employment could be considered as a strategy for enhancing job satisfaction for women.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-117
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• 2014

Employing female in the field of science and engineering is becoming increasingly important with diversity and creativity emerging as key factors to build Creative Economy. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to recognize and discourage gender discrimination in the labor market by analyzing wages - the market value of labor which determines one's economic status. This study uses the Oaxaca-Ransom decomposition (1994) to analyze the gender wage gap and identify factors influencing the pay gap in science and engineering labor force. The results of this study are as follows: First, the average wage of female scientists and engineers reaches only 65% of that of male labor force, and the male scientist and engineers are superior in terms of personal attributes, for instance, education background. Second, looking at the factors that influence wages, wage premiums are associated with higher education background, older age, longer period of service, and weekly working hours for both male and female in managerial positions. Third, the wage decomposition shows that in the case of science and engineering labor force, the productivity difference by personal attributes reaches about 58%, and gender discrimination by the characteristics of the labor market stands at about 41%. This means the wage gap by productivity level in science and engineering labor force is wider, and the gender gap is smaller compared to non-science and engineering fields. However, the results of an analysis on specialties and education background of male and female scientists and engineers suggest that the discrimination against women is more serious when the percentage of the female labor force is low and the percentage of temporary workers in the labor market is high. In order to eliminate this discrimination, it is necessary to reduce the imbalance of female scientists and engineers in the labor market, among others, while female scientists and engineers, themselves, need to make continuous efforts to strengthen their capabilities.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.81-117
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• 2011

This study examined how firms responded to the articles regarding the prohibition or correction of discrimination against fixed-term workers in the 'fixed-term worker protection law', which has been effective since July of 2007 in Korea. Data used cone from the Korean Workplace Survey, and a difference-in-differences method was employed for the identification of the causal effect, noting that the 'discrimination prohibition law' has been applied to firms over stages based on their sizes. The empirical results show no strong evidence that the law played a positive role in reducing differentials between permanent workers and fixed-term workers in the areas of wage and various employee benefits, including the provision of severance pay, annual leave, and 4 major social insurances for fixed-term workers. A more thorough future analysis on the causes of the insignificant impact of the law in some employee welfare benefits, along with supplemental policies, is needed to have the law achieve the desired goal of removing discrimination at the workplace.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.95-114
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• 2009

This study compared demographic, economic and career characteristics between a traditional retirement group and a gradual retirement group. From the 2005 Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS), 780 traditional retirees and 265 gradual retirees were selected. A t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were completed. The findings of this study were as follows: First, there are gender and age differences between the traditional retirement group and the gradual retirement group. The gradual retirement group has a high proportion of male workers and older workers compared to the traditional retirement group. Second, members of the traditional retirement group have more income, more assets and less debt than members of the gradual retirement group; therefore, their financial structure is comparatively stable. Third, there is a large percentage of blue-collar workers (e.g., technical service, repair, operatives) in the gradual retirement group. Members of the gradual retirement group had worked for a shorter period during their career and had a lower wage rate than members of the traditional retirement group. Finally, male workers who are in their 60s and 70s, who do not have a public transfer income but have a higher level of career income, and are older when they end their career, are less likely to retire gradually. As they also have a higher level of debt, the probability of these workers selecting a gradual retirement route is high.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

This study aims to examine the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between working conditions, including wages, employment status, working hours, tenure, and turnover intention among social welfare workers. To achieve this, path analysis was conducted using SPSS and AMOS with data from the 2020 Survey on Compensation Levels and Working Conditions of Social Welfare Facility Workers conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The direct and indirect effects of variables were verified and compared. The analysis results revealed that job satisfaction among social welfare workers showed a complete mediating effect in the relationship between wages, working hours, and turnover intention, while it showed a partial mediating effect in the relationship between employment status, tenure, and turnover intention. Based on these findings, the study proposes measures to reduce turnover intention among social welfare workers, such as ensuring employment stability, managing job satisfaction based on tenure, and enhancing job satisfaction through wage and working hour management.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.667-692
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• 2009

The deregulation on non-standard workers is inclined to make companies increase the employment of the non-standard workers because of cost-saving effect. As non-standard work rises, so involuntary choice of it does. This trend has resulted in the decline of the non-standard workers' job satisfaction. The internalization of firm-specific skills is strong in Japanese companies. Therefore, even though cost-saving effect is high, the companies cannot assign all the jobs to non-standard workers. Hence, the companies are likely to divide the jobs into standard worker's and non-standard workers' ones. The standard workers' jobs, which focus on high firm-specific skills, has reduced, while the non-standard workers' jobs, which can be outsourced from outside the companies, has increased. As a result, the productivity of standard workers has improved, and their wage levels have increased. Since the deregulation on non-standard workers, their job satisfaction has deteriorated. On the contrary, the job satisfaction of standard workers has increased.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.83-124
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• 2018

In this study, with the data of Human Capital Corporate Panel(HCCP) we find that the explaining power of the new hiring rate of experienced regular workers is very strong and statistically significant as a main causal factor to the decreasing trend of investment on education and training for workers in corporates, which means a sign of weakening of the internal labor market. Possibility of wage penalty from switching jobs has been weakened considerably too. The effective alternative policy measures to the weakening or laxity of the internal labor markets and whereby followed reduction in investment on education and training for workers in corporates are construction of social system outside of individual corporates to upbring field-tailored manpower of high quality for young generations and small and medium sized enterprises.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.125-147
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• 2001

It is expected that labor mobility and inter-industry labor turnover would rise due to the rapid changes in the industrial structure and legal institutions of layoffs after the 1997 economic crisis in Korea. One aspect of economic costs of labor mobility is demise of accumulated skills of workers. Workers' skills could be decomposed into three parts, general skills, firm-specific skills, and industry-specific skills. Using data from the panal data of Korea Labor Institute(KLIPS), I show that the net return to seniority is markedly reduced once industry-experience are controlled for. The returns to industry-specific experience are relatively high. Particularly, the experience in one-digit industry is more important for the white-collar workers, while the experience in three-digit industry is also important for the blue-collar workers. Therefore, it seems that the economic cost of labor mobility would be diverse between the skills and between the working classes.