earticle

영어

The bi-polarization of the labor market poses serious problems for the South Korean society. A combination of the increase of non-regular workers, the decrease of regular workers, and the slowed creation of quality jobs are identified as the major causes of this the bi-polarization. This article intends to provide a brief overview of the current situation of the polarized Korean labor market as well as some legislative suggestions to resolve the problems. First, legislative measures need to be adopted in order to decrease the number of non-regular workers and make improvement in the non-regular workers labor conditions in terms of their job security and wages. Furthermore, adopting more stringent requirements for permitting mass layoffs as well as reforming the regulations on indirect employment such as in-house subcontracting will be necessary. Job creation will also be encouraged by reducing working hours and reallocating labor forces. Resolving the bi-polarization problems in the labor market will be crucial for the sustainable development of the society, as there is a direct linkage between the polarization of the labor force and the income polarization. Continuing legislative efforts in this area will therefore be required.