The proportion of non-regular workers among South Korea’s wage earners reached a record high of 38.5 percent in August, the Ministry of Data and Statistics announced on Wednesday. This figure marks the highest level since the country began compiling related data under its current method in 2003.
The report also highlighted a record-high wage gap between non-regular and regular workers, which widened to 1.94 million won (US$1,590) monthly. The total number of non-regular workers stood at 8.67 million as of August, an increase from 8.56 million a year earlier, out of a total of 22.52 million wage workers.
Widening Wage Disparity
The average monthly salary for non-regular workers over the past three months was 2.11 million won, a 24,000 won increase from the previous year. In contrast, regular workers earned an average of 4.05 million won monthly, up 156,000 won over the same period. This resulted in the wage gap between the two groups expanding by 132,000 won from the previous year.
Wage inequality in South Korea has been on the rise since 2020, following a slowdown in wage growth for low-income workers and an increasing share of non-regular employees. The proportion of non-regular workers in 2021, at the peak of the pandemic, was 38.4 percent, slightly lower than this year’s figure.
Limited Social Security Coverage
Access to social security programs remains a concern for non-regular workers. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, only 36.5 percent of non-regular workers were enrolled in the national pension program, a 0.6 percentage point decrease from a year earlier. Similarly, 53 percent were covered by the public health insurance program, down 0.2 percentage point over the period.
In stark contrast, 88.6 percent of regular workers were enrolled in the national pension program and 95.7 percent were covered by public health insurance. The average weekly working hours for non-regular workers increased by 1.3 hours to 29.5 hours, while regular workers averaged 40.4 hours, up from 36.5 hours a year earlier.
Impact on Nepali Workers
Of the non-regular workers, 3.7 million were male and 4.96 million were female. By sector, 21.5 percent of non-regular workers were employed in the health and social welfare sector, followed by 9.9 percent in the accommodation and food service industry.
More than 125,000 Nepalis have found employment in South Korea since the introduction of the Employment Permit System (EPS) in 2008. For 2026, South Korea has opened applications for 7,200 Nepali workers under the EPS quota, including 5,000 for manufacturing, 2,000 for agriculture and livestock, 100 for services, and 100 for shipbuilding. South Korea remains an attractive destination for Nepali workers due to higher wages and social security provisions compared to other countries. The increasing number of non-regular workers and their limited social security coverage could indirectly affect Nepali workers as well.
