Parental leave (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of South Korean workers taking parental leave reached a record high in 2024, data showed Wednesday, largely due to a rise in the number of births last year and the effects of government policies promoting parental leave.
A total of 206,226 workers took time off from work in order to care for their children last year, up from 198,218 recorded a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The ministry noted that the increase was partly due to a rise in births and the impact of parental leave policies.
This photo shows newborns at a hospital. (Yonhap)
In 2024, the number of babies born increased for the first time in nine years to reach 238,300, up 3.6 percent from a record low of 230,000 in 2023.
Under South Korean law, parents of children aged 8 years or younger, or those in the second grade of elementary school or below, are eligible for up to one year of maternity or paternity leave.
To address the nation’s prolonged ultralow birth rate, the government provides financial assistance to employment insurance subscribers who take parental leave.
Though still dominantly taken by women, the ministry also highlighted a shift toward more shared parental leave between mothers and fathers.
Among those taking leave in 2024, the number of fathers reached 60,117, an increase of 9,302 from the previous year. Women accounted for 70.8 percent of all workers who took parental leave last year.
The agency noted the average age of parents taking parental leave has gradually increased, reflecting a trend of delayed marriage and childbirth.
Of the male workers who took leave, 67.9 percent were affiliated with companies with 300 or more employees. The proportion came to 57.7 percent for working mothers.
(Yonhap)
