[Agyeong Poll] "53% Support Flexible Implementation of the 52-Hour Workweek"

"Four-Day Workweek Premature" 63%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] According to a public opinion survey conducted by Asia Economy and Win-G Korea Consulting, more respondents favored implementing the 52-hour workweek system flexibly by considering the characteristics of each company and industry rather than applying it uniformly. This is interpreted to mean that the system should take into account the fact that the workload varies greatly depending on the industry. Opinions were divided regionally between Yeongnam and Honam. Regarding the recently proposed four-day workweek by some political circles, the majority opinion was that it is premature.

In this survey, 53.1% of respondents answered that it is appropriate to implement the 52-hour workweek system flexibly, considering the characteristics of companies and industries, accounting for more than half. Meanwhile, 38.2% answered that it should be applied uniformly due to concerns about potential misuse by companies. Those who answered "don't know" accounted for 8.7%.

Those who supported flexible implementation were in the majority across all age groups. However, responses from Gwangju, Jeonbuk, and Jeonnam differed from other regions. In the Honam region, 52.6% of respondents answered that uniform application is appropriate. Only 34.2% chose flexible implementation. In regions such as Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (57.0%), and Gyeonggi and Incheon (56.6%), more respondents believed that the 52-hour workweek system should consider the conditions of each industry.

The stronger call for flexible application of the 52-hour workweek appears to reflect dissatisfaction among business owners, as well as workers in research and development and manufacturing sectors such as shipbuilding, who feel that industry-specific characteristics are not being considered.

The government has also expanded the allowable hours for "special extended work" considering the situation on the ground. The Ministry of Employment and Labor decided to increase the allowable special extended work hours beyond the 52-hour weekly limit from 90 days to 150 days per year for two reasons: "handling unexpected situations" and "workload surges" until this year.

Regarding the four-day workweek, which reduces working hours further from the 52-hour system, 63.2% responded that it is still premature to apply it to the domestic reality. Only 29.2% answered that its introduction is desirable due to social changes such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the reduction of working hours. Those who answered "don't know" accounted for 7.6%.

Opposition to the four-day workweek was predominant across all age groups, but there were differences in intensity. The proportion of those who voted "premature" was higher among those aged 60 and over (72.5%) and those in their 50s (70.8%). Among people in their 30s and 40s, more than 40% answered that its introduction is desirable. The four-day workweek has been proposed as a necessity due to changes in the industrial environment. However, concerns have been raised that labor costs could become excessively high relative to the workload, and that if the four-day workweek is implemented on the premise of maintaining current salaries, there is a possibility of employment reduction.

This survey was conducted by Asia Economy at the request of Win-G Korea Consulting from April 4 to 5, targeting voters aged 18 and over nationwide, with 1,012 respondents and an overall response rate of 7.3%. The survey method was 100% wireless ARS using virtual mobile phone numbers, and the sample was extracted with weighted values (cell weighting) by gender, age, and region based on the resident registration population as of the end of January 2021 from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, please refer to the Win-G Korea Consulting website or the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.