Article From Yonhap News:
Women in 20’s Knock Down Their Male Counterparts in Employment Battle
Women take the lead over men in rate of economic participation by 2.6 percentage points at 64.6%.
30-something women an economic “tornado”. Women hitting a record high economic participation rate.
Women in their 20’s have emerged victorious over their male counterparts in a fiercely competitive job market, while women in their 30s, who suffer career interruption due to childbirth and childcare, boast the highest economic participation rate ever. The result is the narrowest gap in economic participation rates between women and men in their 30s, a government statistic reveals.
But critics say that more women need to be given opportunities to be gainfully employed, despite the improvement in numbers.
The statistical data from the National Statistics Office released on the 23rd show the economic participation rate of women in their 20s for the second quarter stands at 64.6%, taking a 2.6-point lead over men in their 20s (whose rate is 62%.)
Women in the 20-something age bracket have widened their lead since the second quarter of 2012, when women overtook men in economic participation rates.
The gender gap in economic participation between women and men in their 20s was at 1.5% for the period of April-June, 2012. The gap then dropped to 0.1%, before moving back and forth within the 0 to 1 percent range.
The latest data marks the first time that economically active women in their 20s outnumber their male counterparts by more than 2%.
The figure, 64.6%, is the second highest after 64.9% for the second quarter of 2012.
The economic participation rate for 20-something men is hovering around 62%, and is on a downward trend.
The conspicuous female presence [the so-called “female tornado”] in a fierce job market is attributable to a greater number of highly educated women, and increased preference for a career by women [over becoming full-time housewives.]
As the labor market has witnessed a structural transformation, the larger female footprint in employment is projected to persist in the long term.
The infographic shows 20-something women (64.6%)taking a 2.6% lead over men in their 20s (62.0%) in employment rate for the 2nd quarter of 2013.
Women in their 30s, who often have their careers interrupted [by marriage or childbirth], also contributed to fueling women’s stronger presence in recruitment.
The April-June economic participation rate for 30-something women hit a record high of 58.7%, up 1.7 percentage points from the previous quarter. It narrows the gap with their male counterparts the most since the third quarter of 1999; the men with an economic participation rate of 93.8%.
[…]
20-something women’s lead in economic participation rates for the third straight year sharply contrasts with women in their 30s, who, burdened by childbirth and raising a family, are trailing far behind their male counterparts.
The latest announcement comes as the government seeks to expand the number of jobs with flexible working hours- a move that critics say is necessary in order to provide better quality jobs for women.
Last year, the Ministry of Labor stated that as of 2013, the average monthly wage for women was ₩1.705 million, just representing 64% of the average wage for men, which was ₩2.664 million.
Comments From Naver:
hipe****:
If women are in an unfavorable position, it is called inequality, and if women have an edge, is it called a knock-out victory? kekeke
blis****:
After the mandatory military service, then men graduate from their universities before beginning to prepare to get a job when they turn 28 or 29. Isn’t it natural for women in their 20s to have a higher employment rate? I suspect this article tries to instigate fighting between the genders, which is such bullshit!
via3****:
This is my first comment here. Why does the article use the phrase, “women’s victory over men” in the title? Women are trying to make a living, not trying to outdo men!
visu****:
I just clicked on the article after seeing the article titled “Women’s knockout victory over men.” Does the reporter (who wrote the article) harbor a profound grudge against men?
flip****:
The article must have included female employment for telemarketing and part-time jobs. If a woman turned in an application for a firm, she would know what the reality is like for women. How absurd is this article!
ghjk****:
While men fool away two years in military service, women build specs, go abroad to study or get hired early to build a career years in advance, but they are firmly against giving extra credit towards employment to men who served out their military service. On top of that, in a woman’s mind, men have to buy the home if they get married.
wkdd****:
The reporter for this article must have been dumped by her boyfriend who was in his 20s. ke ke ke
wnst****:
If the survey is conducted only for big firms, rather than for small-and medium-sized companies that accept you if you just send in the application, it would slash the female employment rate. This is a loophole in statistical data.
love****:
Now can we expect women to pay for their share when they go on dates with men?
jsj4****:
The title is a offensive as it is intended to drive a wedge between men and women. As a woman, I can’t understand why this is.
