Job quality in the Republic of Korea: Progress or decline?

To investigate whether, along with economic growth, the Republic of Korea has become a better place for workers, we examine trends in seven job quality dimensions between 2006 and 2020 and find that the relevant mean values changed in opposite directions. The largest rise was in Working Time Quality, associated with ongoing reductions in working hours against a background of working time regulation. The indices for Earnings and Social Environment also improved, but those for Prospects, Skills and Discretion, Work Intensity and Physical Environment all worsened. We also examine two key axes of inequality and find a gradually diminishing job quality premium in six dimensions for graduates as opposed to non-graduates, and better job quality for men as opposed to women in three dimensions. Given the mounting evidence that job quality affects health and well-being, these findings call into question the presumption that social progress goes hand in hand with sustained economic growth.