The Gyeonggi Job Foundation published a report titled "Women's Employment Project Innovation Plan PART 1: Gyeonggi-do Women's Population Structure and Industrial Characteristics" on July 25, analyzing changes in the population structure of women in the province and the characteristics of their economic activities.
According to the report, the aging of the female population and the increase in single-person households are particularly notable. Although the economic participation rate of women has risen, the proportion of married women who are economically inactive remains high. In addition, the imbalance in jobs by industry was found to be at a serious level.
First, the elderly female population (aged 65 and older) in Gyeonggi-do increased significantly from 7.3% in 2000 to 18.3% in 2024. During the same period, the youth population (aged 0-14) decreased from 20.0% to 11.5%. As of 2020, there were 1.76 million female-headed households in Gyeonggi-do, accounting for more than 32% of all households in the province. Among these, the proportion of single-person households was recorded at over 44%.
As of 2023, there were 385,000 single-parent households in Gyeonggi-do, of which 289,000 were female single-parent households, accounting for 75.2% of the total. In particular, mother-child households, consisting of women and their unmarried children, numbered 245,000, representing 63.8% of all single-parent households.
Since 2015, the economic participation rate of women has been on the rise. As of 2024, the economically active female population aged 15 and older was 6,048,000, an increase of 1.65 percentage points compared to the previous year. The labor force participation rate was 56.6%, up 0.86 percentage points from the previous year, and the employment rate was 55.3%, an increase of 5 percentage points compared to 2015.
The average wage for women in Gyeonggi-do was 2.17 million won, which is 970,000 won lower than the average wage for men (3.15 million won). This wage gap is 140,000 won larger than the national average wage gap of 830,000 won. The gender wage gap in Gyeonggi-do was the third highest in the country. On the other hand, the average wage for women in Gyeonggi-do was 190,000 won higher than the national average for women (1.99 million won), indicating a relatively higher level.
Lim Dahee, a research fellow at the Gyeonggi Job Foundation, stated, "It is urgent to develop policies for women's employment projects in Gyeonggi-do that respond to the aging society," and added, "It is necessary to expand comprehensive employment policies for female single parents and single-person households, strengthen job competency for entry into new industries, and enhance support for preventing career interruptions and reemployment."
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