Gender Comparison of the Effect of Education on Occupational Achievement in South Korea (1960s-1990s)

In this paper, we examine gender difference effects of education on first occupational achievement after completing final education in South Korea. Although numerous researchers have examined women's labor market outcomes, few studies have focused systematically on the impacts of gender on occupational achievement. Using the 1998 and 2001 Korean Labor and Income Panel Survey data sets, we found better performance for women than men except for junior secondary level and below education. We also found a disruption of gap years between starting jobs and graduation to occupational prestige score for women only, and that the negative effect was worse for tertiary-educated women. We further found that women entering the labor market much later after graduation obtained fewer benefits than their peers. We suggest that our specific focus on Korea actually adds to the understanding of all women's education and occupational achievement internationally. We therefore conclude that the interrelationship between gender, education, and the time gap should be considered when studying occupational achievement. The implication of these interrelationships is discussed.