SEOUL, March 17 (Korea Bizwire) — With the rapid rise in fuel prices increasing the financial burden on households, low-wage service workers are being hit harder, a survey showed Thursday.
The Korean Federation of Service Workers’ Union conducted a survey of 1,506 members with a monthly wage of less than 3 million won (US$2,300).
On average, respondents said they spent about 9 percent of their monthly wage to pay their heating bill.
In January, they spent 183,000 won to pay their heating bill, equivalent to 8.9 percent of their monthly wage.
The average monthly wage of the respondents stood at 2.06 million won, almost similar to the nation’s 2023 statutory minimum wage of 2.01 million won.
The share of heating costs increased for those with lower monthly incomes. For those with a monthly wage of less than 1 million won, the average heating cost stood at 180,000 won.
In the monthly wage bracket from 1.01 million won to 1.5 million won, the average heating cost stood at 184,000 won, and in the bracket from 1.51 million won to 2 million won, the heating cost stood at 197,000 won.
The heating costs for those with a monthly wage of 2.01 to 2.5 million won and those with a monthly wage of 2.51 to 3 million won stood at 175,000 won and 173,000 won, respectively, lower than that of lower income people.
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