Average Monthly Income of Urban Worker Households Amounts to 2.58 Million Won

It was reported that the gap between the high- and the low-income brackets widened, despite the increase of the income of the urban workers in the first quarter. The National Statistical Office (NSO) announced the report on the ` First Quarter Household Economy of Urban Working Households` yesterday. The NSO said, ``Average monthly income (2.851 million won) of urban worker households rose 9.8 percent (23100 won) from the same period of the last year (2.35 million won).``

Although the average income increased, the rate of the income magnification (an outcome from a total income of the top 20 percent of the high-earning households divided by the total income of the lowest 20 percent) widened from 5.56 to 5.76 of the last year. This indicates that the `rich are becoming richer, while the poor are becoming poorer`.

Sun Joo-Dae, director of the social statistics department, said that ``the structure of the income disparity of the urban working households seemed to have slightly improved. However, the gap is widening again this year. The income distribution becomes worse during the winter due to the increasing number of the unemployed. Yet, it tends to become better in the second quarter.``

The NSO said that ``the earned income of the top 20 percent increased by 14.9 percent compared to the 10.2 percent increase in the lowest 20 percent bracket.`` An average monthly earning (2.15 million won) of the urban working household increased by 10.7 percent (208,000 won) compared with the same period of the last year.

The average monthly expenditure of urban working households amounted to 2.06 million won during the first quarter, up 7.4 percent from a year ago. Expenditure amounted to 1.754 million won, up 5.5 percent (91,000 won). Along with the increase in income, an average monthly tax load amounted to 74,000, up 24 percent from a year ago. Household spent an average monthly expenditure of 100,000 won to pay for the public pension, medical insurance, and employment insurance. The rate of the housing expenses was the highest (14.9 percent) among the items of household expenditures. The rate of the clothing and shoes expenses was 13 percent, 12.7 percent for water and gas, 11.2 percent for the house utensils, and 5.4 percent for the transportation and the communication.

Choi Young-Hae moneychoi@donga.com