More young workers start in nonregular jobs, widening regular employment gap: study

More young workers are starting their careers in nonregular jobs, widening Korea’s gap between regular and nonregular employment, according to a National Assembly Futures Institute report. One in three people born between 1989 and 1998 began in nonregular jobs, nearly twice the rate of those born between 1969 and 1978. The report also found that first-job stability has weakened across generations, with average tenure falling and long-term regular-job retention dropping sharply among the youngest group.

The report analyzed the first jobs of 14,241 people born between 1962 and 1998.

The share of people who started as nonregular workers rose from 12.7 percent for those born between 1962 and 1968 to 33.5 percent for those born between 1989 and 1998.

Average tenure in the first job fell from 70 months for the 1962 to 1968 cohort to 45.6 months for the 1989 to 1998 cohort.

Published Sep 11, 2026 3:38 pm KST

A job seeker stands in front of employment information posters at a university career center in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

The gap between Korea's regular and nonregular workers is widening, with more young people starting their careers in nonregular jobs than in previous generations.

According to a report by the National Assembly Futures Institute on Thursday, one in three people born between 1989 and 1998 started their careers in nonregular jobs, nearly twice the rate for those born between 1969 and 1978, who entered the labor market around the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The report analyzed the first jobs of 14,241 people born between 1962 and 1998.

The share of those who started as nonregular workers rose steadily across generations. The rate stood at 12.7 percent for those born between 1962 and 1968, who experienced Korea's period of high economic growth.

That share then climbed to 17.4 percent for the generation that lived through the financial crisis, born between 1969 and 1978, and 28.7 percent for the pre- and post- financial crisis generation, born between 1979 and 1988. It reached 33.5 percent for those born between 1989 and 1998, who came of age as Korea's economic growth slowed.

Job stability at first employment also declined, with average tenure falling from 70 months for those born between 1962 and 1968 to 45.6 months for those born between 1989 and 1998.

Among that youngest group, people who started their first job as regular workers remained in regular employment for about eight years and three months over the following decade. Their average unemployment period was 10.8 months.

By contrast, those who started as nonregular workers spent only about three years and one month in regular employment during the following decade, suggesting that some later moved into regular jobs but for far shorter periods than those who began in regular employment. Their average time out of work was 35.6 months, about three times that of their counterparts who began in regular jobs.

Among those who started as nonregular workers, 71.2 percent moved into regular employment at least once within 10 years, while the remaining 28.8 percent never made that transition. The transition took an average of four years and 10 months for those who made it.

Long-term job stability also fell sharply across generations. While 56.5 percent of those born between 1962 and 1968 remained in a single regular position for 10 years after their first job, that share fell to just 21.9 percent for those born between 1989 and 1998.

根据韩国国会未来研究院的一份报告，越来越多的年轻劳动者选择非正式工作开启职业生涯，加剧了韩国正式就业与非正式就业之间的差距。1989年至1998年出生的人中，有三分之一的人最初从事非正式工作，这一比例几乎是1969年至1978年出生人群的两倍。该报告还发现，各年龄段人群的首份工作稳定性均有所下降，平均任职时间缩短，而最年轻群体长期从事正式工作的比例更是急剧下降。

该报告分析了 1962 年至 1998 年间出生的 14,241 人的第一份工作。

1962 年至 1968 年出生的人中，非正式员工的比例为 12.7%；而 1989 年至 1998 年出生的人中，非正式员工的比例上升至 33.5%。

1962 年至 1968 年出生的人在第一份工作中的平均任期为 70 个月，而 1989 年至 1998 年出生的人则为 45.6 个月。

发布于2026年9月11日下午3:38（韩国标准时间）

周三，一名求职者站在首尔一所大学就业指导中心的招聘信息海报前。（韩联社）

韩国正规就业人员和非正规就业人员之间的差距正在扩大，越来越多的年轻人开始从事非正规工作，这与以往几代人相比有了显著变化。

据国会未来研究所周四发布的一份报告显示，1989年至1998年出生的人中，有三分之一的人职业生涯始于非正式工作，这一比例几乎是1969年至1978年出生的人的两倍，后者大约在1997年亚洲金融危机前后进入劳动力市场。该报告分析了1962年至1998年间出生的14241人的第一份工作。

非正式就业人员的比例随着世代更迭而稳步上升。在1962年至1968年出生的人群中，这一比例达到了12.7%，他们经历了韩国经济高速增长时期。

随后，经历过金融危机的一代人（1969 年至 1978 年出生）的这一比例攀升至 17.4%，金融危机前后一代人（1979 年至 1988 年出生）的这一比例为 28.7%。而 1989 年至 1998 年出生的人，在韩国经济增长放缓之际成年，这一比例达到了 33.5%。

首次就业的稳定性也有所下降，平均任职时间从 1962 年至 1968 年出生的人的 70 个月下降到 1989 年至 1998 年出生的人的 45.6 个月。

在最年轻的群体中，那些第一份工作是正式员工的人，在接下来的十年里，平均保持正式工作约八年零三个月。他们的平均失业期为10.8个月。

相比之下，那些最初从事非正式工作的人，在接下来的十年里只从事了大约三年零一个月的正式工作，这表明他们中的一些人后来也转为正式员工，但工作时间远短于那些一开始就从事正式工作的人。他们的平均失业时间为35.6个月，约为那些一开始就从事正式工作的人的三倍。

在那些最初以非正式员工身份入职的人中，71.2%的人在10年内至少转为正式员工一次，而其余28.8%的人从未实现这一转变。对于那些成功转正的人来说，这一转变平均耗时4年10个月。

各年龄段人群的长期就业稳定性也急剧下降。1962年至1968年出生的人中，有56.5%的人在第一份工作后10年内一直从事同一份稳定的工作，而1989年至1998年出生的人中，这一比例下降到仅21.9%。