SEOUL, KOREA - As much as one woman out of five quit her job for reasons of childbirth or childcare. According to data published by the National Statistical Office on November 27, the number of women who resigned from their jobs after marriage because of pregnancy, maternity leave, and caring for children was 1,955,000. This is 20.1 percent of all married women of 9,713,000 in their age between 15 and 54.

 

The figure was 1.9 million in 2011, the first year the statistical office began collecting data on it, followed by 1,978,000 in 2012. The main reasons for quitting jobs were marriage (45.9%), childcare (29.2%), maternity (21.2%), and children's education (3.7%). The number of women who left their job for reasons of childcare rose 15.8 percent (78,000) from the previous year.

 

Gong Mi-sook, National Statistical Office manager in charge of labor statistics, said, "The rise is largely because the government began paying child support stipends of about 200,000 won a month to families who do not send their toddlers to childcare centers from this year, which led some women to stay home instead of going out for gainful employment."