Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to Conduct Survey on Women's Economic Activity and Career Interruption

Establishing Policies to Prevent Career Interruptions
Reflecting Changes in the Labor Environment, Including AI and Platform-Based Work
Strengthening Analysis Across All Life Stages

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will conduct a survey on the economic activity of women, including those who have experienced career interruptions.

On August 24, the ministry announced that it will carry out the "2025 Survey on Women's Economic Activity and Career Interruption" from August 26 to September 5 in order to establish policies to promote women's economic participation and prevent career interruptions.

This survey is a nationally approved statistic based on Article 8 of the Act on Promotion of Women's Economic Activities and Prevention of Career Interruption. It has been conducted every three years since the first survey in 2013, making this the fifth iteration.

Professional surveyors from Statistics Korea will conduct in-person interviews by visiting selected sample households. The survey targets 7,500 households nationwide across 17 cities and provinces, including women aged 19 to 54. Previously, the survey was limited to women aged 25 to 54, but this year it has been expanded to include those as young as 19. This expansion is expected to provide a comprehensive understanding of women's economic activity across all life stages, including the younger generation.

Additionally, this year's survey will broaden its scope beyond marriage, childbirth, childcare, and family care to include working conditions. New questions have been added regarding the spread of artificial intelligence (AI), the increase in online platform-based labor, and the expansion of remote and telecommuting. Through this, the ministry aims to identify the causes and solutions to issues affecting women's labor overall, analyze the opportunities and constraints women experience amid changing employment patterns and technological advancement, and assess what support is needed to maintain careers and ensure employment stability from multiple perspectives.

The ministry plans to announce the survey results in the first half of next year and, based on the findings, develop and improve women's employment policies that cover all life stages, from young adults to middle-aged and older women.

Cho Minkyoung, Director-General of the Women's Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stated, "This survey has expanded its scope and items to reflect the rapidly evolving digital transformation and new forms of employment, as well as changes in labor environments and legal systems. The active participation and accurate responses from sample households will be a solid foundation for creating a gender-equal employment environment."

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