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Around half of mothers with preschoolers are unemployed, indicating one out of two women stayed at home to raise children, government data showed Friday.
According to Statistics Korea, the employment rate for women with children under seven was 49.1 percent in 2019. They were among 4.96 million women aged between 15 and 54 living with their children under 18.
The 4.96 million accounted for 56.1 percent of 8.44 million married women of the same age group. Some 5.42 million women remained single, accounting for 38 percent of the total ― 14.2 million women.
While the employment rate was up 1 percentage point from 48.1 percent the year before, it remained far below the figure for mothers with older children.
The employment rate for women with children aged between seven and 12 was 61.2 percent in 2019, up from 59.8 percent a year earlier.
The rate for women with children aged between 13 and 17 was 66.1 percent, down 2 percent from 68.1 percent in 2018.
"The number of working mothers with children under six are far lower than those with older children because infants and toddlers require constant care compared to elementary schoolers, for whom daycare centers are a much more viable option," a statistics agency official said.
The data showed less than half, or 43.3 percent, of working mothers made less than 2 million won ($1,680) a month.
Of 2.82 million employed women living with children under 18, 10.2 percent made less than 1 million won a month.
