Analysis of Job Mobility Patterns and Transition Effects of Workers in South Korea Over 23 Years: Applying Latent Transition Analysis (LTA)

This study reflects the rapidly changing societal trends by focusing on job mobility changes, utilizing the Korean Labor Panel Data to analyze the job mobility patterns of workers nationwide over a 23ᐨyear period from 1998 to 2020, and explores the factors influencing transitions. The results revealed six types of job mobility patterns: entryᐨmobility type, entryᐨmaintenance type, unemploymentᐨ reemployment type, career disruption type, repeated mobility type, and longᐨterm retention type. Based on occupational characteristics(job mobility, regular employment status, final industry and occupation, monthly wage, preferred job conditions) and vocational training experience, the study analyzed the factors influencing transitions for each of the six job mobility types. Notable findings include that the entryᐨmobility type is characterized by active job changes in healthcare and social welfare, educational services, hospitality, and office work, with the lowest initial monthly wage, a large wage gap, and increasing vocational training experience over time. The entryᐨmaintenance type has a high proportion of regular and office jobs and shows the fastest growth in vocational training experience. The unemploymentᐨreemployment type has a high proportion of nonᐨregular jobs and frequent job changes. The career disruption type has a high proportion of married women over 40, with the highest initial preference for stable jobs, which gradually decreases, and the largest wage gap change rate. The repeated mobility type has a high proportion of regular employment but frequent job changes, with an increasing preference for stable jobs. The longᐨterm retention type has a high proportion of regular and professional jobs, the highest initial monthly wage and wage growth rate, and the highest vocational training experience compared to other types. Based on these findings, educational policy implications for each job mobility type were proposed.