KCCI: "MZ Generation Prioritizes 'Work-Life Balance' When Choosing Jobs"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] A survey revealed that the MZ generation values 'work-life balance' (Work-Life Balance) as the most important factor when choosing a job.

The Korea Employers Federation announced on the 17th that a survey on job perceptions was conducted among 1,000 people born between 1984 and 2003, known as the MZ generation, and found that this generation values work-life balance while considering jobs in the metropolitan area with an annual salary in the 30 million KRW range as 'decent jobs.'

When asked about the criteria for judging a decent job, 66.5% (multiple responses allowed) answered 'a job that balances work and life.' This was followed by 43.3% who responded 'a job with fair compensation.' Other responses included 'a job with a well-established welfare system' (32.8%), 'a job with a horizontal and free company atmosphere' (25.9%), and 'a job with long-term employment security such as retirement age guarantee' (14.0%).

The Federation explained, "This reflects the practical characteristics of the MZ generation, who pursue work-life balance and prefer securing personal time over material rewards."

Regarding the salary level of a decent job, the Federation explained that 50.9% answered 'in the 30 million KRW range,' which was the highest. This was followed by 'in the 40 million KRW range' (27.6%), '50 million KRW or more' (12.2%), and '23 million KRW (2022 minimum wage level) to 30 million KRW' (9.3%).

As for the location of a decent job, 'metropolitan area' was the most common answer at 50.7%, followed by 'location does not matter' (37.7%) and 'provincial areas' (11.6%).

When asked about the expected length of service for a decent job, 'within 10 years' was the most frequent answer at 35.1%, followed by 'until retirement age' (29.8%), '10 to 20 years' (27.6%), and 'more than 20 years' (7.5%). Regarding the size of a decent job, 29.1% responded that 'size does not matter,' followed by '300 to 999 employees' (26.0%), '100 to 299 employees' (25.6%), 'less than 100 employees' (12.6%), and '1,000 or more employees' (6.7%).

Notably, 82.6% of respondents expressed willingness to work for small and medium-sized enterprises, and 60.0% said they would be willing to take non-regular positions if the job was decent. The Federation interpreted this as indicating a significant demand among job seekers for jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises.

On the other hand, when asked about the proportion of decent jobs among all jobs, the most common response was 'around 10%' at 39.0%.

The industry sector expected to create many decent jobs was 'IT and Information Communications' at 35.4%, followed by 'Environment and Energy' at 20.4%, and 'Bio and Health' at 11.5%.

Lim Young-tae, head of the Employment Policy Team at the Korea Employers Federation, said, "Through this survey, we were able to glimpse the characteristics of the MZ generation, who pursue work-life balance, value practicality, and are sensitive to fairness. It is necessary to increase flexibility to reduce barriers to labor market entry and re-entry for the MZ generation while also establishing a robust employment safety net."

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