73.2 percent see their job as valuable, says a survey

More than 70 percent of respondents to a survey held last year in South Korea turned out to see value in what they do for a living for the first time. The share of those in this category went up to 80 percent if they earn a monthly income of six million won and above, according to the survey.

In the Korea Social Integration Survey done by the Korea Institute of Public Administration as part of a report released on Thursday by the Statistics Korea about South Korean social indexes as of 2021, 73.2 percent thought their occupation as useful and valuable, up by 13.6 percentage points compared to the previous year, reaching the highest level since 2013 when related statistics were first collected. The share of those who value their job highly, previously around the 50 to 60 percent ranges, exceeded the 70 percent threshold last year for the first time. The survey was done of 8,000 men and women aged 19 and above last September to October across the nation.

By age group, the highest level of 79.6 percent among those in their 30s answered that their job has a value, followed by those in their 10s and 20s (78.3 percent), those in their 40s (77.8 percent) and those in their 50s (72.8 percent). Respondents in their 60s and above showed 64.4 percent, 15.2 percent points down compared to those in their 30s.

The survey highlighted that a higher income is corelated to a higher value placed on a job. As high as 81.8 percent of the group with a monthly income of six million won and above saw a value in their career. Those with a monthly income of five million to less than six million won and four million to less than five million won showed 75.8 percent and 75.1 percent, respectively. Only less than 70 percent of the group who earns less than three million won a month saw their career as valuable.

“A growing number of people consider their occupation to be of high value but the share of those who do so is proportionate to their income level. Income seems to have greater impact on how people perceived the value of their job than other factors.”


Hee-Chang Park ramblas@donga.com