"Starting a Second Life Through Saeil Center"… 160,000 Career-Interrupted Women Reemployed

1.34 Million Women Experienced Career Breaks Last Year
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Operates 158 Saeil Centers Nationwide
60,000 KRW Support Per Worker Linked to Corporate Internships
Reemployment Through New Jobs and Pioneering Entrepreneurship Fields

#. Ms. Imijin (51, Ansan, Gyeonggi) was laid off from the travel agency she worked at during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being older, no company was willing to accept her resume. Then, after attending a pet entrepreneurship class and obtaining a certification, she began a second career as a pet caretaker.

#. Ms. Hwang Hyeran (44, Yeongju, Gyeongbuk) was an expert who had worked at a trading company for over 10 years. However, after getting married and moving to a rural area, she devoted herself to childcare for several years, resulting in a career break. After her child grew up, she was introduced to an accounting job that matched her skills and was able to re-enter the workforce.

Both Ms. Imijin and Ms. Hwang successfully found reemployment with the help of the Women’s New Employment Center (Saeil Center) under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Those who succeeded in finding jobs through the Saeil Center commonly said, "We learned about things we didn’t know before." Since most had specialized in one or two professional tasks before their career breaks, they found it difficult to obtain information about what new work they could do when reemployment became necessary.

Imijin (51, Ansan, Gyeonggi) is conducting a project to establish a companion animal culture after receiving vocational training through the Ansan Saeil Center in Gyeonggi.
[Photo by Imijin]

Users agreed that it is not easy for women in Korean society to find new jobs on their own after a career break. Ms. Hwang said, "Childcare is the biggest issue," adding, "Since there is nowhere to leave the child, women can only work part-time, and as the career break period lengthens, it becomes harder to work again." They also shared that during the time they could not work, they faced psychological and financial difficulties.

According to the '2023 First Half Regional Employment Survey on Employment Status of Married Women' released by Statistics Korea last year, the number of married women aged 15-54 who experienced career breaks was 1,349,000, accounting for 17.0% of all married women. This number decreased by 48,000 compared to the previous year, presumably due to a decline in marriage and childbirth, which cause career breaks.

The main reason for career breaks among women was 'childcare' at 42.0%, followed by marriage (26.2%), pregnancy and childbirth (23.0%), child education (4.4%), and family care (4.3%). According to the '2022 Economic Activity Survey of Career-Break Women' released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family last year, the estimated time taken for career-break women to find reemployment was 8.9 years. The new jobs obtained after career breaks were analyzed to have lower wages and less employment stability compared to previous jobs.

160,000 Career-Break Women Reemployed... Pioneering New Fields

The Saeil Center, an institution under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, provides comprehensive support such as career counseling, job matching, and vocational training for career-break women and job-seeking women. As of January this year, 158 Saeil Centers operate nationwide. According to the Ministry, out of 589,685 users of the Saeil Center last year, about 28%, or 165,539, were reemployed. The number of employed people was in the 170,000 range in 2019, dropped to the 160,000 range immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic, and slightly increased again last year.

In fact, the Saeil Center offers various free vocational training courses in fields with high demand or high added value. These range from office management, service, finance and accounting to IT (information and communication), construction, machinery, specialized technologies, bio, and content industries.

They also discover 'niche occupations' that are not well known to the public. Ms. Lee Yoonji (36, Yeongju, Gyeongbuk), who had worked as a social worker but experienced a career break due to childbirth, happened to learn about the Saeil Center and completed a Korean cuisine cooking practical training course. She then established a handmade snack workshop using Yeongju’s local specialties, ginger and balloon flower root, and also works as a one-day class instructor for traditional children’s snacks. Ms. Imijin is also pioneering new jobs by conducting classes for establishing a pet culture and education on rescuing and adopting abandoned dogs.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family provides financial support for career-break women who complete the 'Saeil Women Internship Program.' Companies hiring interns for three months receive up to 3.2 million KRW, and workers receive 600,000 KRW. The program connects women seeking internships with companies and supports employment retention for more than six months after the three-month internship.

Even after reemployment, the centers continuously provide follow-up management. A representative from the Yongsan Saeil Center explained, "We provide continuous information not only to those who have succeeded in reemployment but also to those still seeking jobs," adding, "We also operate short-term programs to help overcome difficulties encountered in career and workplace life while working."

"Without the Center’s Help, Employment Might Not Have Been Possible"

Shin Young-sook, Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family, visited the Goyang Saeil Center in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of February 26 to listen to employment support service policy beneficiary cases and discuss opinions on the Saeil Center projects with related personnel.
[Photo by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family]

However, a limitation is that the Saeil Center is not well known among job seekers hoping to reenter the workforce. Ms. Hwang said, "At first, I didn’t know about the center but was connected through a recruiting company," adding, "After learning about the Saeil Center, I often told women around me who had career breaks to try visiting. I hope it becomes better known."

Women also realistically feel that salaries are lower and job quality is poorer at reemployment positions compared to their previous workplaces before career breaks. However, users of the Saeil Center expressed satisfaction simply with being able to work. Ms. Song Jaehee (39, Yongsan-gu, Seoul) said, "Not all the work I got reemployed for is satisfactory," but added, "However, without the center’s help, I might still be unemployed, so I think it’s a good opportunity."