Minding the Gaps : Non-Regular Employment and Labour Market Segmentation in the Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea has witnessed a sharp increase in non-regular employment such as fixed-term employment. Yet, the definition of non-regular employment, its size, and its causes remain controversial. Considering the heterogeneity of non-regular employment, this paper attempts to investigate job quality for different groups of non-regular worker (non-standard and disadvantaged). In doing so, wages and incomes, working time, and social security coverage are considered. It is shown that the gaps between these groups have been widened and a significant part of such gaps can be attributed to discrimination. For instance, while 76 per cent of the wages gap between regular and disadvantaged workers can be explained by demographic and occupational characteristics, the remaining 24 per cent is due to discrimination. Upward mobility, measured by the likelihood for non-standard and disadvantaged workers to move to regular jobs, is also very limited