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Multiple in 10 youngsters with work expertise in Korea began working to earn cash earlier than the age of 13, a latest survey has discovered. The findings underscore a rising pattern of youthful youngsters getting into the labor market, prompting requires stronger measures to guard them from wage exploitation and verbal abuse.
The survey, performed by the Nationwide Youth Coverage Institute as a part of its report „Analysis on Youth Employment Standing and Coverage Measures,“ questioned 7,212 college students, together with 2,902 center schoolers and 4,310 excessive schoolers.
Of the 1,414 respondents who answered that that they had labored to earn cash, 11.3 % reported beginning work earlier than the age of 13. One other 23.2 % started between the ages of 13 and 15, and 60.9 % between the ages of 15 and 18.
Though Korea’s Labor Requirements Act usually prohibits using people below the age of 15, 34.5 % of the surveyed youth reported beginning work earlier than turning 15. Notably, whereas solely 3 % of the surveyed highschool college students reported beginning work earlier than the age of 13, the determine jumps to 31.2 % among the many respondents presently in center faculty. This highlights a rising pattern of youthful youngsters getting into the workforce at more and more early ages.
Amongst youngsters with work expertise on digital platforms, akin to YouTube or social media, 14.5 % reported beginning work earlier than the age of 13.
„As digital platform work expands, extra younger youngsters are taking part, resulting in rising discrepancies with the age requirements set by the Labor Requirements Act,“ the report said. „Offering labor rights schooling at an early stage might assist scale back situations of unfair remedy for younger employees.“
Underneath the Labor Requirements Act, minors below 15 should acquire a piece allow issued by the minister of employment and labor. Nevertheless, solely 12.5 % of the 360 respondents who began working earlier than their fifteenth birthday stated that they had obtained such a piece allow. In distinction, 52 % said that they had by no means obtained a allow and easily started working, whereas 35.5 % couldn’t recall whether or not they had obtained one.
Among the many 952 youngsters who had labored prior to now 12 months, 34.5 % reported experiencing a minimum of one type of unfair remedy, akin to delayed wages, verbal abuse or sexual harassment. The commonest challenge was not receiving wages on time, reported by 17.4 % of respondents. One other 17.1 % stated they weren’t given relaxation breaks throughout work, whereas 13.7 % reported receiving decrease pay than agreed or none in any respect. Furthermore, 10.1 % stated that they had skilled verbal abuse, sexual harassment or bodily assault from employers or managers. Following these points, solely 17.9 % of those that skilled unfair remedy stated that they had lodged complaints or reported the incidents.