"Severe Impact of COVID-19 on Female Workers Facing Job Loss Crisis... 'Urgent Need for Improved Treatment'"

Non-Regular and Female Workers Suffer More... Wage Cuts and Changes in Work Patterns
Civilians Urge "Measures for Female Workers' Livelihoods"
Government Diagnoses Crisis in Female Labor Sector and Seeks Policy Tasks

According to a survey, the rate of involuntary job loss since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection was higher among vulnerable groups such as non-regular workers, low-wage workers, and female workers. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues for a prolonged period, female workers are facing the risk of unemployment. They are expressing difficulties as their livelihoods are threatened by reduced wages or changes in working conditions.

In particular, there are growing calls to improve the treatment of female workers and to address gender discrimination and unfairness in the labor market. It has been pointed out that problems such as undervaluation of female labor and unfair treatment have persisted even before COVID-19.

According to a survey, the rate of involuntary unemployment after the outbreak of COVID-19 was higher among vulnerable groups such as non-regular workers, low-wage workers, and female workers.

According to a survey conducted by Workplace Gapjil 119 from the 5th to the 10th targeting 1,000 workers aged 19 to 55 on 'COVID-19 and Changes in Workplace Life,' the rate of unemployment among non-regular workers (26.3%) was more than six times higher than that of regular workers (4%). Low-wage workers (25.8%) experienced unemployment at a rate ten times higher than high-wage workers (2.5%), and by gender, female workers (17.1%) suffered more unemployment than male workers (9.8%).

Not only the risk of unemployment but also wage cuts were frequent. According to a survey on the status of domestic workers during the COVID-19 situation conducted by the National Housekeepers Association and the Korean Women Workers Association in April targeting 128 domestic workers, the respondents’ average monthly income last year was about 1.07 million won, but it dropped to about 730,000 won in February this year when COVID-19 spread. It further declined to about 640,000 won in March and about 660,000 won in April.

In this way, female workers often face poor working conditions and unstable employment forms such as non-regular jobs, resulting in constant threats of dismissal depending on the decisions of users. Female workers relying on low-wage, long-hour jobs such as caregiving, environmental cleaning, and domestic work are prioritized for layoffs or pressured into long-term unpaid leave due to the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.

Photo by Yonhap News

As a result, citizens have urged for the legal labor rights and livelihoods of women to be guaranteed. Office worker A (27) said, "I once read an article saying that non-regular female workers suffer more from unilateral dismissals and contract terminations," adding, "I think this is because the perception that 'men are the breadwinners' and gender discrimination are still widespread in our society. It also seems that men are still preferred in hiring processes."

A added, "Non-regular female workers often do not receive much attention, and therefore, they are even less protected as workers. Since women are workers just like men, the government should conduct surveys on this situation and prepare measures to protect them."

Meanwhile, the government has begun diagnosing the crisis status in the female labor sector and seeking policy tasks after COVID-19. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held a series of four relay discussions on women and family-related fields concerning COVID-19 from the 11th to the 18th.

At the discussions, the Ministry proposed measures regarding the outlook and tasks for female labor after COVID-19, including △focused management of industries and workplaces with female labor crises during the pandemic △prevention of discrimination and dismissal of female workers during the pandemic △expansion of employment insurance enrollment to secure employment safety nets for workers.

In particular, despite the total number of employed women being lower than men, the scale of non-regular workers is larger among women, and the labor crisis caused by COVID-19 has been concentrated on non-regular female workers. The Ministry emphasized the need to introduce 'restrictions on the use of non-regular workers.'

Minister Lee Jung-ok of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated in a press release, "COVID-19 has revealed the blind spots in vulnerable female labor, caregiving, and gender-based violence, showing the need for more inclusive and integrated policy improvement measures." She added, "I hope various opinions will be presented to actively respond to the COVID-19 crisis through this discussion, and we will actively support the implementation of the discussed measures into policy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.