About one in 13 South Korean college students has postponed graduation out of anxiety over finding a job, a survey showed.
Delaying Graduation, Repeating Leaves of Absence Over Job Worries
According to a youth transition-to-adulthood tracking survey released by the National Youth Policy Institute on the 22nd, 53.4%, or 540, of 1,011 young people who went to college said they had taken a leave of absence. The survey followed 2,351 adolescents who were in the first year of middle school in 2010 over 15 years through last year, and 1,139 of them completed their responses.
Fulfilling military service was the most common reason for taking a leave, cited by 55.9%. Preparing for licensing exams came next at 11.7%, followed by preparing for public-sector employment at 11.3%. Other reasons included earning money for tuition and living expenses at 7.2%, gaining work experience through internships at 5.6%, overseas language study at 3.5%, preparing for private-sector employment at 2.6%, and family reasons such as caring for a sick relative at 1.1%.
A total of 7.4%, or 75, of the young people who attended college said they had postponed graduation. Among them, 76.0% pointed to job insecurity as the reason. The findings suggest they either needed more time to prepare for employment before graduating or worried they might not land a job even after finishing their studies.
The college enrollment rate stood at 88.8%, or 1,011 people, and the graduation rate at 77.1%, or 878. The share who did not attend college was 15.4% among men and 6.7% among women. By region, the figure was 14.2% outside the greater Seoul area, higher than the 7.6% within it.
Those Who Never Attended College Work Longer but Earn Less Than Graduates
Pay was the most important workplace condition for young people, cited by 21.5%. A company matching their aptitude for the work followed at 21.1%, job security at 19.9% and a good organizational atmosphere at 16.9%. Men placed relatively greater weight on wages and room for advancement, while women prioritized job fit and benefits. Young people in the greater Seoul area put pay first, while those outside it favored job security and benefits.
In their first jobs, young people worked an average of 40.16 hours a week and earned 2,543,300 won a month, the survey found. Comparing graduates of four-year universities with those who never attended college, the latter worked 1.66 hours more a week but earned 177,000 won less a month.
Among young people who did not attend college, 53.1% said they had changed jobs four or more times. Among those still without a job, 22.5% had never held one at all.
"Those who did not attend college are experiencing an unstable transition into the labor market, centered on frequent job changes and short-term work," the researchers said. "Within the ranks of jobless young people, a split is emerging between those whose entry is delayed and those cycling through short-term jobs."