Single-person households take up 30% of Korean family units, 61% employed

Three out of 10 families in South Korea were single-person households as of October last year, underscoring the breakdown of the traditional family culture as more Koreans choose not to get married in the backdrop of a fast aging society.

According to data released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday, the number of single-person households reached 5.788 million as of October last year, up 3.1 percent from a year ago. They accounted for 29.2 percent of all family units, up 0.5 percentage points during the same period.

Data, in particular, showed that 61.1 percent of single-member households were employed, or 3.537 million of total 5.788 million as of the same period, up 3.1 percent from a year ago.

Among those residing alone and employed, middle-aged group of in between 50 and 64 accounted for the largest 26.6 percent, followed by those in between 30 and 39 (23 percent), 40 and 49 (20.6 percent), 15 and 29 (19 percent), and over 65 (10.8 percent).

By gender, 57.7 percent were men and 42.3 percent women, data showed.

By education level, 44.2 percent of all single-member households were college graduates or those with higher degrees, 37 percent were high school graduates, and 18.8 percent were middle school or lower level graduates.

The census report showed that the number of one-person households has increased rapidly among senior citizens, with those aged over 65 and employed expanding by the fastest 10.3 percent from a year ago. The number of single-member households aged in between 15 and 29 and employed gained just 4.6 percent during the same period, while those in between 50 and 64 3.6 percent.

By industry, 37.7 percent of those living alone and working were employed in business, private business, and public service sector, 20.3 percent in wholesale and retail and accommodation and restaurant sector, and 15.9 percent in mining and manufacturing sector.

Compared to last year, those working in wholesale and retail and accommodation and restaurant, mining and manufacturing, and fishery industries decreased while vice versa for those engaged in business and public service, construction, electric, transportation, telecommunication, and finance sectors.

Jeong Dong-wook, head of employment statistics at Statistics Korea, said that the number of employed, single-member households aged in between 50 and 64 and over 65 has increased significantly over the past year, hinting the government’s efforts to create new jobs have been effective given that they were mostly working in health and welfare and social welfare sectors.

By job position, 912,000 Koreans living alone were temporary and part-time workers, up 36,000 from a year ago, accounting for 32.7 percent of total working members. Data also showed that 1.881 million were full-time employees, up 79,000 households, while 744,000 were self-employed workers, down 4,000 during the same period. Their average weekly working hour was 41.1 hours, down 1.7 hours from a year ago.

By wage level, 35.7 percent of working single-member households earned in between 2 million won and 3 million won, 24.6 percent in between 1 million won and 2 million won, 17.1 percent in between 3 million won and 4 million won, 11.3 percent more than 4 million won, and 11.3 percent less than 1 million won.

Those earning less than 1 million won were engaged mainly in forestry and fishery industries and those in between 2 million and 3 million won in diverse sectors such as mining and manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail and accommodation, electric, transportation, telecommunications, and finance industries.

[ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]