(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, July 31 (Korea Bizwire) — A married, employed person over the age of 30, charged with the responsibility of looking after their family or children, is more satisfied with both their life and work-life balance than unmarried individuals.
According to a report from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 17,510 employed South Koreans between the ages of 19 and 59 scored an average of 4.47 out of 7 for their satisfaction with work-life balance.
Sorted by age group, those aged 19 to 29 had the highest score of 4.56, followed by individuals in their 30s (4.39) and 40s (4.02). The score for those in their 50s climbed to 4.52 points.
While there were no meaningful differences between married and unmarried individuals, when sorted by age, singles in their 20s and married individuals over 30 years old were more satisfied with their work-life balance.
Married individuals reported higher overall life satisfaction (4.53 points) than singles (4.38 points).
Among married individuals, those with more than two children expressed greater life satisfaction (4.56 points) than those with one child (4.48 points) or no children (4.46 points).
For married men, children didn’t significantly affect their life satisfaction. However, for married women, satisfaction levels plunged when they had children.
The findings reflect the tendency in Korean society where women bear a greater burden of family chores and childcare compared to men.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
