Managing Company and Household... 8 out of 10 Female Entrepreneurs Face Challenges in Work-Life Balance

Women's Economic Research Institute Conducts Survey on Certified Women-Owned Businesses
Physical Health Issues Reported... Over Half Work on Holidays and After Hours
"Multifaceted Efforts Needed to Create a Business-Friendly Ecosystem for Women"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwak Min-jae] A survey found that 8 out of 10 women entrepreneurs experience difficulties balancing work and life due to managing both company operations and household chores.

The Women’s Economic Research Institute (WERI) recently announced the results of the "Work-Life Balance Survey of Women Entrepreneurs," conducted with the cooperation of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association.

In September, the institute surveyed 51,427 companies that had received women entrepreneur certification, and among the 557 valid samples, 78.8% responded that balancing work and life was difficult.

The most common difficulty was "physical exhaustion," at 65.1%. This was followed by lack of personal time (52.2%), burden from household chores (39.6%), burden from childcare (25.1%), and burden from family care (14.6%).

Among women entrepreneurs, 56.2% reported working on holidays, with the main reason being excessive workload at 31.3%.

Responses indicating an average of "6 days or more" worked per week accounted for 41.8%, and 54.0% said their weekday working hours were irregular.

58.0% of women entrepreneurs responded that they work at home after leaving the office.

The proportion of respondents who said their work intensity was high was 92.1%.

The most common reason for high work intensity was "excessive workload due to performing all tasks simultaneously," at 54.4%.

This was followed by stress related to the management environment (28.1%), workload related to new business development (5.3%), and frequent overtime and holiday work (5.1%).

61.0% of respondents had dependents, and among them, 87.9% said the level of care required for their dependents was "moderate or higher."

A representative from the Women’s Economic Research Institute stated, "It is necessary to continuously monitor the actual conditions of work-life balance experienced by women entrepreneurs," adding, "This is a time when multifaceted efforts are needed to create an ecosystem conducive to women’s business activities."

Meanwhile, in October last year, the "Act on Support for Women Entrepreneurs to Raise Public Awareness of Women Entrepreneurs" was amended and passed, establishing a legal basis for carrying out specific projects aimed at improving public perception of women entrepreneurs.