The South Korean government Monday mapped out a plan to expand its part-time work scheme in the public sector by 2018, which would increase the public workforce by more than 1 percent.

Under the plan, it will offer government-backed part-time jobs for women in a bid to help them return to work after childbirth and boost the country’s low birthrate.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, along with relevant ministries, announced these and other plans in a meeting.

Unlike part-time jobs generated by private businesses in the job market, government-backed part-time jobs guarantee better working conditions, the ministry said.

Under the part-time employment scheme, workers can choose to work between four and six hours a day for a lower income instead of working full-time. They are entitled to 130 percent of minimum wage, welfare benefits and employment insurance.

The government launched the part-time scheme geared toward women in 2013 as part of efforts to help women whose careers were disrupted by childbirth and child-rearing to reenter the workforce.

Many South Korean women have complained about career disruption, as it is not easy for them to find jobs and continue their career after taking time off work to have children.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of women aged 15-54 whose careers were interrupted stood at 1.9 million as of April, which is 20.7 percent of married women in Korea.

The data showed that 36.9 percent of women suffering from career disruption quit their work due to marriage, followed by child-rearing at 29.9 percent, childbirth at 24.4 percent, taking care of their family at 4.9 percent and education for their children at 3.9 percent.

There are currently two options available under the scheme ― beginning a new career by getting a state-backed part-time job elsewhere or continuing their career at their own workplaces by reducing working hours on the condition they return to the same job.

Two years after the program came into force, the government decided to focus on adding part-time jobs so women do not have to sacrifice their career for childbirth and child-rearing.

So far, only 30 to 40 percent of state-run organizations have adopted the scheme, and even fewer in the private sector, due to company cultures led by full-time workers and a lack of systematic monitoring and support, experts said.

In response, the government said it would consult with labor experts to develop jobs for women suffering from career disruption and create a pool of workers who can be put to work when necessary.

“If we settle on an employment model that can make it possible for both husband and wife to use government-led job options, it could help Koreans fulfill their happiness through their careers,” said Labor Minister Lee Ki-kwon.

The move comes as part of President Park Geun-hye’s reform drive to make the labor market more flexible. She pledged to add 930,000 part-time jobs and realize a 70 percent employment rate, which stood at 60.8 percent as of last month.

She pledged to make efforts to ensure that women can continue to work after taking maternity leave Friday in a meeting with the heads of women’s universities at Cheong Wa Dae.

But concerns persist over the ministry’s push for a part-time scheme as civic groups and labor unions accuse authorities of generating low-quality, temporary positions only to increase the number of jobs.

According to a report by Rep. Jang Ha-na of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, 81.5 percent of workers under the part-time system from 2013-14 were paid less than 1.4 million won ($1,190).

The government was supposed to offer 130 percent of the minimum wage for part-timers, equating to 1.4 million won.

Of them, 17.9 percent worked for less than six months, with 18.7 percent working from six to 12 months and 42.6 percent from one to two years.

“The government policy (for part-time jobs) is wrong and only aimed at boosting the number of jobs,” Jang said. “It should reduce working hours for all workers to create better-quality jobs.”

“Without raising the quality of part-time jobs, the expansion of such a scheme would degrade the quality of employment,” said Shin Kyung-ah, a professor at Hanrim University.

Some companies have come under fire for adopting state-backed part-time jobs in their workplaces and replacing full-time workers with part-time ones, which has resulted in heavier workloads for permanent workers.

“It is better to create working environments in which women do not have to quit their job in the first place.” 


By Ock Hyun-ju
(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)