South Korea continues to lag behind other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in terms of female employment, with its women’s labour force participation remaining low for the past two decades, reports the Economic Times, citing the Federation of Korean Industries. A recent report by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) highlights that, in 2023, the employment rate for South Korean women aged 15-64 stood at 61.4%, while the labour force participation rate was 63.1%. These figures place South Korea 31st out of 38 OECD countries, showing a decline from 27th place in 2003. The report also points out a significant gap in female employment for mothers, with the employment rate for women with children under 15 dropping to just 56.2% in 2021, the lowest among the “30-50 club”, OECD nations with a population over 50 million and per capita income exceeding USD 30,000.

The FKI attributes South Korea’s struggles to a lack of flexible work environment and insufficient family care support. The FKI emphasises the urgent need for policies that offer greater flexibility in working hours, the creation of high-quality part-time jobs, and enhanced family care support to encourage more women to participate in the workforce.