This file photo shows a woman looking at a job recruitment bulletin board at an employment support center in western Seoul on Sept. 14, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean women have become more exposed to the risk of unemployment and social isolation than men after the COVID-19 pandemic, a study showed Monday.
These findings were reported in a short-term monitoring survey conducted by the national infectious disease crisis advisory committee under the prime minister to measure the social and economic impact brought on by the pandemic.
The “employment” index showed that, prior to the pandemic, the gender ratio of the recipients of unemployment benefits was balanced. After the pandemic, the balance leaned drastically toward women.
“With the spread of remote school classes, students mostly studied or spent time at home, which probably undermined female participation in economic activities,” said Hong Sok-chul, an economics professor at Seoul National University who is also a member of the committee.
The “social isolation” index showed that the monthly hospital visits by patients with depression has increased significantly since March of last year. The increase rate was more significant among women than men.
“The increase rate of patients with depression is exceptionally vivid among the young generation and women,” Hong said.
Credit card expenditures sorted by leisure, accommodation, food, and beverages began to shrink between the fourth and sixth waves of the pandemic and began to recover after the alleviation and end of social distancing measures.
The days of operation of businesses in the field of “entertainment, sports, and culture” and “food and beverage services” dropped during the period of stricter quarantine policy, and the pandemic spread in the winter.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
