First Decline in Parental Leave in South Korea Amidst Decreasing Marriages and Birth Rates

Seoul, Dec 18 (NationPress) The count of workers in South Korea utilizing parental leave has decreased for the first time in 2023, indicating a wider trend of diminishing marriages and childbirths, as revealed by recent data.

Statistics Korea compiled the data, showing that a total of 195,986 employees took or commenced parental leave to care for their children last year, marking a 3 percent reduction compared to the previous year, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

This decline signifies the first annual drop since the agency began tracking this data in 2010. Previous records had consistently shown growth, bolstered by various governmental initiatives.

According to South Korean legislation, parents of children aged 8 years or younger, or those in the second grade of elementary school or below, are entitled to take up to one year of maternity or paternity leave.

To combat the country's ongoing ultra-low birthrate, the government offers financial support to employment insurance subscribers who opt for parental leave.

In 2023, the nation's total fertility rate—indicating the average number of children a woman is expected to bear in her lifetime—fell to 0.72, the lowest level recorded since 1970, according to earlier statistics from Statistics Korea.

The count of newly married couples in South Korea reached 974,000 in 2023, a decrease from 1.03 million the prior year, based on separate data.

Women constituted 75.3 percent of all employees who took parental leave last year, with the number of women taking maternity leave declining by 1.4 percent compared to the previous year, as indicated by the data.

The number of male employees utilizing parental leave dropped by 7.5 percent year-on-year to 50,455. This decline follows the figure surpassing the 50,000 mark for the first time in 2022, after years of steady growth.

In terms of age, women aged 30-34 years represented the highest percentage of mothers on maternity leave at 41.3 percent, followed by those aged 35-39 at 33.5 percent.

Among male workers, those aged 35-39 accounted for the largest share at 38.2 percent, with those in their 40s following at 35.7 percent.

The agency highlighted that the average age of parents taking parental leave has gradually risen, mirroring a trend of delayed marriages and childbirths.

Of the male workers who took leave, 70 percent were employed by companies with 300 or more employees. The proportion was 58.2 percent for working mothers.

By industry, employees in the manufacturing sector made up 22.4 percent of fathers on parental leave, followed by 20.5 percent in public administration and defense.

Among mothers, those employed in public health and welfare constituted 19.4 percent, followed by public administration and defense at 14.6 percent and the education service sector at 11.8 percent, as per the data.