J Korean Med Sci.  2023 Jun;38(22):e171. 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e171.

Decrease in Weekly Working Hours of Korean Workers From 2010 to 2020 According to Employment Status and Industrial Sector

• Park J
• Kim Y

• KMID: 2542803
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e171

Abstract

Background
The present study examined changes in the working hours of Korean workers from 2010 to 2020 according to employment status and industrial sector.
Methods
This was a secondary analysis of data from the third (2010), fourth (2014), fifth (2017) and sixth (2020) Korean Working Conditions Surveys, which were conducted by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.
Results
During the past 10 years, workers classified as employees, self-employed, or employers experienced clear declines in average weekly working hours and in the percentages of individuals who worked more than 48 hours per week. During 2020, the largest proportion of employees (52.8%) had 40-hour work weeks, whereas the largest proportions of selfemployed individuals (26.8%) and employers (25.1%) had very long work weeks (≥ 60 h/ week). Also during 2020, individuals who were self-employed or employers in the sectors of ‘Accommodation and food service’ had the longest weekly work hours, whereas employees in the sector of ‘Transportation’ had the longest weekly work hours. All three groups (employees, self-employed, and employers) in all 21 industrial sectors experienced declines in average weekly working hours from 2017 to 2020.
Conclusion
From 2010 to 2020, employees, self-employed individuals, and employers experienced clear declines in average weekly working hours, and in the percentages of individuals with long weekly working hours. However, there were also differences in the weekly working hours of those who had different employment status and who worked in different industrial sectors. The implementation of the 40-hour work-week and the 52-hour maximum work-week in Korea reduced excessive work hours by individuals who had different employment status and who worked in different industrial sectors, and probably improved worker quality-of-life. We recommend extension of these regulations to workplaces with fewer than 5 employees.

Keyword

Working Hour; Work Week; Long; Employment Status

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Average weekly working hours from 2010 to 2020 according to sex, employment status, and overall.

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  Fig. 2 Percentage of individuals who worked more than 48 h/week from 2010 to 2020 according to sex, employment status, and overall.

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  Fig. 3 Frequency distribution of weekly working hours for individuals who had different employment status during (A) 2017 and (B) 2020.

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  Fig. 4 Average weekly working hours in 21 different industrial sectors for individuals who had different employment status during (A) 2017 and (B) 2020.Industrial legends: A, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing; B, Mining and quarrying; C, Manufacturing; D, Electricity, gas, and water supply; E, Waste management, materials recovery; F, Construction; G, Wholesale and retail trade; H, Transportation; I, Accommodation and food services; J, Information and communications; K, Financial and insurance activities; L, Real estate activities, renting, leasing; M, Professional, scientific, and technical activities; N, Business facilities management and business support services; O, Public administration and defense, social security; P, Education; Q, Health and social work activities; R, Arts, sports, and recreation-related services; S, Membership organization, repair, and personal services; T, Household employer activities U, International and foreign organizations.

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