Including 'Working Conditions' as a Reason for Career Interruption... Saeil Center Renamed to 'Women's Economic Activity Support Center'

Change from Career Discontinuity Act to Women’s Economic Activity Act after 13 Years
Added ‘Working Conditions’ to Definition of Career-Interrupted Women Beyond Marriage, Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Childcare
Emphasis on Responsibilities of Government, Local Authorities, and Employers to Prevent Career Discontinuity
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Ministry of Employment Jointly Publish ‘Women’s Economic Activity White Paper’

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook is reviewing documents while attending the 1st Economic Relations Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The reason for career interruption will be expanded to include 'working conditions' to broaden the scope of career interruption prevention policies. The name of the Women's New Employment Center will also be changed to the 'Women's Economic Activity Support Center.'

On the 31st, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that the full revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Women's Economic Activities and Prevention of Career Interruption (Women's Economic Activity Act) passed the Cabinet meeting and will be implemented from the 8th of next month.

The Women's Economic Activity Act is a law that was enacted in 2008 as the Act on the Promotion of Economic Activities of Women with Career Interruptions and was fully revised after 13 years to expand the policy scope to include 'prevention of career interruption.'

Moving beyond specifying marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare as causes of career interruption, the law now adds 'working conditions' as a reason for career interruption, considering that labor market structures such as the gender wage gap also play a major role.

The Enforcement Decree of the Women's Economic Activity Act newly establishes a definition for career interruption prevention and expands the scope of projects. Women with career interruptions are defined as "women who have stopped economic activities due to marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, caregiving for family members, or working conditions and who wish to be employed." To emphasize the responsibilities of employers in preventing women's career interruption, the decree distinguishes these from the responsibilities of the state and others. It stresses employers' duties to improve working environments, ensure employment stability, and actively cooperate with policies of the state and local governments.

To prevent misunderstandings that the Career Interruption Women's Support Center (Women's New Employment Center) is limited to women who have stopped economic activities due to marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, or childcare, the center's name will be changed to the 'Women's Economic Activity Support Center.' The existing 'Survey on the Economic Activities of Women with Career Interruptions' will be expanded to the Women's Economic Activity Survey and reflected in the basic and implementation plans. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Employment and Labor will jointly publish the Women's Economic Activity White Paper annually, which includes data on women's wages, occupations, employment types, and the status of women with career interruptions.

Furthermore, to improve job quality, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Employment and Labor will establish and implement policies to improve working conditions, such as reducing the gender wage gap. They will collect job information related to women and provide this information to job seekers, employers, and related organizations. Support for career interruption prevention, such as career planning and development counseling by life cycle, will also be strengthened.

The proportion of women with career interruptions decreased from 22.2% in 2014 to 17.4% in 2021, and the wage gap between those with and without career interruptions also decreased from 660,000 won in 2013 to 356,000 won in 2019. The number of users of the New Employment Center increased from 130,000 in 2009 to 640,000 in 2021. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to further strengthen proactive support for career interruption prevention in line with the purpose of the law revision.

Minister Kim Hyun-sook of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said, "To solve the problem of women's career interruption, it is important to minimize blind spots so that work and family culture can coexist and careers can be maintained, and to prevent career interruption in advance. We will strive to create a workplace environment where women can continuously work without career interruption, promote economic activities, and respond to labor shortages in the aging society."

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