Study Finds Young Men Gain 4.78% per Job Change as Women and High School Graduates Lag
Updated
Updated · 매일경제 · Jun 14
Study Finds Young Men Gain 4.78% per Job Change as Women and High School Graduates Lag
1 articles · Updated · 매일경제 · Jun 14
Summary
A study of 3,999 South Korean youths found each additional job change was linked to a 4.78% wage increase on average, with the effect remaining significant even after controlling for tenure and workplace location.
Tenure loss cut wages by about 2.15% through service interruption, while moves to higher-paying areas such as the Seoul metropolitan region added about 2.58%, largely offsetting that damage.
Women changed jobs more often than men—1.78 times versus 1.62—but did not show a significant wage gain from moving locations, and their wage hit from interrupted service was larger at -0.025 versus -0.018 for men.
High school graduates or below changed jobs most frequently at 1.95 times yet saw little wage upside, while graduate-degree holders faced no significant tenure-loss effect; engineering majors also outperformed humanities and social sciences on both mobility gains and lower career depreciation.
The researcher said turnover is not an equal ladder for all workers and called for tailored career-management support to address widening labor-market inequality.
For young workers, when does switching jobs build a career versus just digging a deeper hole?
Why does the career ladder have broken rungs for women and humanities majors?
As AI transforms the job market, are some degrees becoming a financial liability for graduates?
Unequal Wage Gains in South Korea: Gender Disparities, Labor Market Segmentation, and Policy Implications
Overview
South Korea faces persistent gender disparities in wage gains and career advancement, with women earning less than men in every major sector and facing barriers to upward mobility. Career interruptions, often due to family responsibilities, lead to negative workplace evaluations for women, which in turn hinder promotions and limit access to higher-paying roles. Despite these challenges, many women remain in the workforce out of financial necessity. This unequal landscape is reinforced by structural obstacles and societal perceptions, making it difficult for women to achieve equitable wage growth and career progression.