<ARTICLES>The Effect of Gender Differences in Fields of Study on Precarious Youth Employment: Comparing University-Educated Non-Regular Employees in Japan and South Korea

Abstract

This study investigates how gender differences in field choices influence gender disparities in employment types, focusing on Japanese and South Korean graduates' first jobs. Although gender inequalities in higher education have been significantly narrowed in Japan and South Korea, females still encounter a greater risk of non-regular employment than their male counterparts. Using two nationally representative samples, the Social Stratification and Social Mobility Survey (SSM) and the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), this study examines whether female overrepresentation in the humanities is responsible for their high non-regular employment risks. The findings suggest that Japanese females are likely to hold non-regular employment positions in their first workplace because of their overrepresentation in the humanities. In contrast, South Korean females are not overrepresented among humanities degree holders. In addition, their field choices do not explain their high non-regular employment rates. This study concludes with practical suggestions for achieving gender parity in both countries. First, in Japan, parents and teachers should provide appropriate guidance to female high school students to help them gain a clear understanding of their aptitudes. Second, in South Korea, social policies and legal regulations should be introduced to alleviate the disadvantages females encounter in the labor market.