취업 여성배우자의 소득기여도와 소득분배, 소득계층 이동

Abstract

Using the 2002 Household Income & Expenditure Survey, this study investigated working wives' work related costs and contribution to household income, and their impacts on income inequality and income class mobility. The major findings were as following. First, the levels of wives' work related costs were similar among the income classes. However the burden of the work related costs was higher in the lower income class. Second, working wives' net monthly contribution to household income was 640 thousand Won. It constituted 19% of household income and the proportion was higher in the lower income class (22.8%). Third, due to higher contribution to household income in the lower income classes, working wives' earnings relieved income inequality. Forth, adding wive's earnings to household income, about 54% of the households having working wives moved up to the higher income decile, about 39% remained in the same income decile, and about 7% moved down to the lower income decile. About half of the households with full-time wives went down to the lower income decile. While further improvement of income inequality was expected with increasing employment rate and earnings of women in the lower income class, deterioration of income inequality was expected with increasing employment of women with higher educational attainment in the higher income class. The public policy supporting work related costs of women would be effective in reducing household income inequality.