코로나19 대유행이 한국인과 외국인 근로자의 임금 격차에 미친 영향의 분석

초록

Using data from the Economically Active Population Survey (August Supplement on Employment Type) and the Survey on Immigrants’ Living and Employment Conditions for 2017-2023, this study examines the wage structure of Korean and foreign workers before and after COVID-19 and analyzes how the pandemic affected wage differentials. The main findings are as follows. First, the wages of foreign male workers are largely determined by job characteristics and working hours, while individual characteristics play a weaker role than for Korean male workers. Second, holding other factors constant, foreign male workers earn lower wages than Korean male workers, and because foreign workers typically work longer hours, the wage gap becomes even larger when hours are controlled for. Third, due to the decline in foreign workers during the pandemic, the wage gap narrowed in 2020 and 2021. However, as inflows resumed, the gap widened beginning in 2022 and by 2023 exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Fourth, within a given industry–occupation cell, a 10% higher relative share of foreign male workers is associated with about a 0.3% lower relative wage for foreign workers. Fifth, wage differentials between Korean and foreign female workers are smaller than for men, but the gender-specific pattern is similar.

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