A significant decrease in job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and personal happiness among young workers as their working hours increase. (Image courtesy of Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – A study conducted by Park Joo-sang of the Regional Labor and Society Research Institute reveals a significant decrease in job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and personal happiness among young workers as their working hours increase.
This study, published in the ‘Labour Policy Research’ journal by the Korea Labor Institute, delves into the impact of work duration on the well-being of young adults in the workforce.
Park’s research utilized the 2022 Korea Employment Information Service’s survey on career paths of college graduates. It focused on wage workers under the age of 34, categorizing them into groups based on their weekly working hours: less than 15 hours, 15-40 hours, 41-52 hours, and over 52 hours.
The study examined the relationship between these work hours and the workers’ job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and personal happiness.
The results showed a clear trend: longer working hours corresponded with lower levels of satisfaction and happiness. Notably, only 7.4% of young workers who worked less than 15 hours or between 15-40 hours expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs.
However, this dissatisfaction rose to 13.9% for those working 41-52 hours and further to 17% for those exceeding 52 hours per week.
Regarding life satisfaction, the lowest scores (1-2 points) were reported by 6.4% of those working less than 15 hours, 4.4% for 15-40 hours, 5.2% for 41-52 hours, and 5.9% for those working over 52 hours.
Conversely, the highest life satisfaction scores (6-7 points) were found in 43.9% of the group working 15-40 hours, the highest among all groups.
Similar patterns were observed in personal happiness levels. The least happy respondents (scoring 1-2 points) were most common among those working over 52 hours (8.5%), and the greatest happiness (scoring 6-7 points) was reported by 36.5% of those working between 15-40 hours a week.
Park’s analysis, even after adjusting for demographic characteristics and the nature of schools and workplaces, consistently showed that longer working hours negatively impact job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and personal happiness.
He emphasized the need for policy interventions, particularly for regular workers who are disproportionately affected by longer working hours.
According to Park, addressing the issue of excessive work hours and aligning labor policies with international standards is crucial for improving the well-being of young workers.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
