Parental leave declines for 1st time in 2023 amid falling marriages, childbirths

The number of South Korean workers taking parental leave fell for the first time in 2023, reflecting a broader decline in marriages and childbirths, data showed Wednesday.

A total of 195,986 workers took or began to take time off from work to take care of their children last year, down 3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

It marked the first annual fall since the agency began compiling relevant data in 2010.

Parental leave figures had shown steady growth, buoyed by government initiatives. In 2022, the number surged by 15 percent on-year to surpass the 200,000 mark for the first time.

“Last year, the population of children aged 0 to 8 decreased by 6.5 percent compared with the previous year. Also, the significant increase in parental leave in 2022 created a base effect,” said Kim Kyung-hee, an agency official.

Under South Korean law, parents of children aged 8 years or younger, or those in the second grade of elementary school or below, are eligible for up to one year of maternity or paternity leave.

To address the nation’s prolonged ultra-low birthrate, the government provides financial assistance to employment insurance subscribers who take parental leave.

In 2023, the country’s total fertility rate — indicating the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime — dropped to 0.72, marking the lowest level since 1970, according to earlier data from Statistics Korea.

The number of newly married couples in South Korea came to 974,000 in 2023, down from 1.03 million the previous year, according to separate data.

Women accounted for 75.3 percent of all workers who took parental leave last year, with the number of women taking maternity leave slipping 1.4 percent from the previous year, the data showed.

The number of male workers taking parental leave shed 7.5 percent on-year to 50,455. The decline comes after the figure surpassed the 50,000 mark for the first time in 2022, following years of gradual growth.

By age, women aged 30-34 years accounted for the biggest portion of all mothers who took maternity leave at 41.3 percent, followed by those aged 35-39 at 33.5 percent.

Among male workers, those aged 35-39 years accounted for the largest portion of 38.2 percent, followed by those in their 40s at 35.7 percent.

The agency noted the average age of parents taking parental leave has gradually increased, reflecting a trend of delayed marriage and childbirth.

Of the male workers who took leave, 70 percent were affiliated with companies with 300 or more employees. The proportion came to 58.2 percent for working mothers.

By industry, employees in the manufacturing sector accounted for 22.4 percent of fathers who took such leave, followed by 20.5 percent in the public administration and defense sector.

Among mothers, those working in the public health and welfare segment took up the largest share of 19.4 percent, followed by those in the public administration and defense sector at 14.6 percent and the education service field at 11.8 percent, the data showed.