More than 7% of young people who enrolled in college have delayed their graduation, with three out of four citing job insecurity as the reason for their decision. The average monthly income for young people in their first job is approximately 2.54 million won, and over one in five unemployed youth reported having no job experience at all.
According to a report released on October 22 by the Korea Youth Policy Institute, 75 out of 1,011 surveyed college students (7.4%) indicated they had postponed graduation.
Among those who delayed graduation, 76% cited 'employment insecurity' as their primary reason. Concerns about needing additional time to prepare for the job market or the possibility of being unable to find a job after graduation were identified as key factors in their decision.
More than half of the respondents (53.4%) reported having taken a leave of absence during their college years. The most common reason for taking a break was fulfilling military obligations (55.9%), followed by preparing for qualification exams (11.7%), job preparation in the public sector (11.3%), financial needs for tuition and living expenses (7.2%), gaining practical experience through internships (5.6%), language study (3.5%), and job preparation in the private sector (2.6%).
Young people reported working an average of 40.16 hours per week with a monthly income of 2.543 million won. When comparing college graduates to those who did not attend college, non-college graduates worked an average of 1.66 hours more per week but earned 177,000 won less per month.
A clear polarization in job stability was also evident. Among non-college graduates, 53.1% reported changing jobs four or more times, while 22.5% of all unemployed youth had never held a job, indicating a lack of experience.
The researchers noted, "Non-college graduates are experiencing an unstable transition into the labor market characterized by frequent job changes and short-term employment. Within the unemployed youth, there is a distinction between those experiencing delayed entry and those repeatedly taking short-term jobs."
Meanwhile, the most preferred job requirements among young people were 'high salary' (21.5%), 'job fit' (21.1%), 'job stability' (19.9%), and 'positive organizational culture' (16.9%). Males prioritized salary and career advancement, while females emphasized job fit and welfare. Young people in the metropolitan area valued salary most, whereas those in non-metropolitan areas prioritized job stability and welfare.
This survey tracked 2,351 adolescents who were in the first year of middle school in 2010 over a period of 15 years, with 1,139 respondents participating in the latest survey.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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