임금격차는 어떻게, 왜 변해 왔는가? (Wage Inequality: How and Why It has Changed over the Decades)
9 Pages Posted: 8 Oct 2019
Date Written: August 22, 2019
Abstract
Korean Abstract: 1980~2016년 중 임금 불평등이 상승과 하락을 반복하는 가운데 전반적으로 임금상승은 둔화 추세
- 임금 불평등은 1기(1980~94년) 중 하락, 2기(1995~2007년) 중 상승, 3기(2008~16년) 중 하락하는 모습
- 중위(中位) 실질임금 상승률은 ‘1기 9.2% → 2기 4.0% → 3기 1.1%’로 급락
■ 임금을 숙련(skill)에 대한 보상으로 이해하면, 숙련수요와 숙련공급 간의 괴리가 임금 불평등에 영향을 미쳐온 것으로 파악됨.
- 숙련의 대표적 지표인 학력(고졸 대비 대졸)을 살펴보면, 1기에는 고졸 노동수요가 급증하면서 대졸 임금 프리미엄이 하락한 반면, 2기에는 대졸 노동수요가 급증하면서 대졸 임금 프리미엄이 상승했고, 3기에는 대졸 수요 변화가 뚜렷하지 않은 가운데 대졸 노동공급이 지속되면서 대졸 임금 프리미엄이 하락
- 1기의 고졸 노동수요 증가는 중화학공업 등에서 중간숙련에 대한 수요가 증가한 결과로 판단되며, 2기의 대졸 노동수요 증가는 그간의 기술축적을 바탕으로 고숙련에 대한 수요가 증가한 결과일 가능성
■ 기술진보를 촉진하여 전반적인 임금상승률을 높이는 동시에, 인력의 고숙련화를 통해 분배를 개선할 필요
English Abstract: From 1980 to 2016, Korea exhibited ups and downs in wage inequality and a slowdown in wage growth.
Wage inequality fell in the 1st phase (1980-1994), rose in the 2nd (1995-2007), and fell again in the 3rd (2008-2016).
The annual growth rate of the real median wage plummeted from 9.2% in the 1st phase to 4.0% in the 2nd and then to 1.1% in the 3rd.
So far as wages are a form of compensation for the skills provided, wage inequality is affected by the changes in the supply of and demand for skills.
An important indicator of skill is the educational attainment of workers. The demand for high-school graduates rapidly increased in the 1st phase, weakening the wage premium of college graduates and reducing wage inequality. The situation reversed in the 2nd phase with a sharp upturn in the demand for college graduates, in their wage premium, and in wage inequality. In the 3rd phase, the wage premium of the latter dipped again as their supply continued amid the subdued demand for them.
The large demand for high-school graduates observed in the 1st phase may derive from the rising demand for mid-skilled workers by the heavy and chemical industry while the growing demand for college graduates observed in the 2nd phase may be the result of an increasing demand for high-skilled workers driven by technological progress.
To accelerate the wage growth while keeping wage inequality in check, technological progress should be encouraged and the quality of higher education upgraded.
Note: Downloadable document is in Korean.
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