"No Discrimination Except Infection..." More Women Faced Job Loss and Income Reduction Due to COVID-19

A public opinion survey revealed that more women than men have lost jobs or experienced income reductions since the outbreak of COVID-19. An image unrelated to specific expressions in this article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A public opinion survey revealed that more women than men have experienced job loss or income reduction since the outbreak of COVID-19.

According to Yonhap News on the 17th, a survey conducted by Workplace Bullying 119 from the 24th to the 31st of last month targeting 2,000 office workers showed that 21.3% of female respondents reported having experienced unemployment after COVID-19. For men, the figure was 14.0%. The percentage of respondents who said their income decreased was also higher among women (37.7%) than men (29.2%).

The rate of COVID-19 infection experience among survey participants was the same for women and men at 21.5%. However, when asked whether they were able to freely use paid sick leave for COVID-19 infection prevention in the past three months, 62.8% of women answered "No." This was 18 percentage points higher than men (44.8%).

On the other hand, when asked whether they were able to freely use leave for vaccination, testing, or quarantine, 68.0% of men answered "Yes," which was 14.6 percentage points higher than women (53.4%).

In cases where work was handled as "unpaid leave or leave of absence" due to COVID-19 infection, 32.4% were women and 20.8% were men. Additionally, in cases of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing, women (31.6%) were nearly twice as likely as men (17.6%) to be treated with "unpaid leave or leave of absence."

Regarding this, Attorney Kang Eunhee of Workplace Bullying 119 stated that women's jobs have suffered significant damage in every crisis situation, and the economic crisis derived from COVID-19 is no exception. She opposed the pledge by President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and argued that it should be strengthened into a Ministry for the Elimination of Gender Discrimination.

This survey was conducted in collaboration with the Public Mutual Aid Fund and commissioned to the professional polling agency Embrain Public, with a 95% confidence level and a sampling error of ±2.2 percentage points.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the increase rate of extreme choices among women in their 20s was particularly prominent during the COVID-19 crisis. According to Statistics Korea, 296 women in their 20s made extreme choices in the first half of 2020 (January to June), a 43% increase compared to the same period the previous year. This was the highest increase rate among all deaths by gender and age group.

Experts analyze that the impact on women in their 20s was greatest in terms of employment, housing, and human relationships. Professor Lee Hyunjung of the Department of Anthropology at Seoul National University explained, "Men are more likely to be employed in essential jobs that must be maintained during crises, such as transportation and police, compared to women. Also, the proportion of women working in low-wage jobs is higher, increasing the risk of experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19."

Kim Hyunsoo, director of the Seoul Suicide Prevention Center, appeared on YTN radio on the 14th and said, "The gender ratio of those who were laid off was higher for women," adding, "This is because many women work in industries like restaurants and cafes, where layoffs are relatively easier." He also said, "I was surprised that when Seoul City offered housing support, the number of female applicants was overwhelmingly high," indicating that many young women are experiencing housing or financial crises.

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