Employment Quality: A Social Determinant of Health and Well-Being in a Changing Labor Market in Korea

Against the background of increased labor market flexibilization, health issues amongst employees have become a pressing social concern in Korea. Yet, little is known about the diversity in employment experiences and the associated health implications amongst employees. To accurately gauge labor market segmentation, whilst simultaneously accounting for health-risk factors, we employ the multidimensional Employment Quality (EQ) concept in a typological manner. This method differentiates various employment segments, with the Standard Employment Relationship (SER) serving as a benchmark. Using the 2017 Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), we employ Latent Class Cluster Analysis on a sample of the salaried workforce (N = 25.376) to construct a typology of EQ. Via logistic regression, we link the EQ typology to poor mental well-being and poor self-rated general health. As a result, we find six distinct types of EQ arrangements in Korea: SER-like, Instrumental, SER Intensive, Instrumental Intensive, Precarious Intensive, and Precarious Unsustainable. We find that deviations from the SER-like segment are associated with poorer health and well-being outcomes, even when accounting for confounding factors, with precarious EQ segments showing the most pronounced adverse health and well-being associations. This study furthers our understandings of health disparities within the salaried workforce. Our findings underscore the need for targeted reforms of workplace- and employment-related health policies to foster a healthier working population in Korea.