Fewer women take career breaks as paternity leave rates rise, policies provide support

The number of women who took career breaks — often due to childbirth or child care — fell by nearly 10 percent over the past year, a decline attributed in part to the rise in paternity leave and expanded public policies.

An employee fixes the plaque for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sept. 30. [NEWS1]

The number of women who took career breaks — often due to childbirth or child care — fell by nearly 10 percent over the past year, a decline attributed in part to the rise in paternity leave and expanded public policies.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Employment and Labor released the 2025 White Paper on Women's Economic Activity on Sunday. First published in 2023, this is the third edition of the report.

The number of women who took career breaks decreased from 1.35 million in 2023 to 1.21 million in 2024, a drop of 9.9 percent or 134,000, according to the white paper.

This number has been on a steady decline. In 2015, there were 2.07 million women who took career breaks, meaning the figure has fallen by nearly 860,000 over the past decade.

The sharpest decline was observed among women in their 30s. Compared to 2015, the number of women aged 30 to 39 who experienced career interruptions dropped by 622,000, softening the so-called “M curve” — a trend where women’s employment rates peak in their 20s, dip in their 30s due to childbirth and caregiving, and rise again in their 40s.

In 2015, the most common reason for career interruption was marriage at 37 percent. By last year, child care had become the leading cause, accounting for 41.2 percent.

A child and her father visit the child's new classroom at an elementary school in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 23. [NEWS1]

Expanded paternity leave and stronger government policies are believed to have contributed to the drop, according to the white paper. Men accounted for 31.6 percent of all parental leave recipients last year — the first time the proportion has surpassed 30 percent.

The number of men taking parental leave has increased nearly 12-fold compared to 2014, when it stood at just 3,421.

In a move toward more inclusive language, the government plans to officially change the legal term for these women from “women on a career break” to “women with careers” by the end of this year.

A family is seen walking along Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Dec. 25. [YONHAP]

“Policies encouraging the use of parental leave have increased men’s participation in child care,” said Seok Byoung-hoon, a professor of economics at Ewha Womans University. “These measures, along with expanded care programs, have led to a drop in women taking career breaks.”

Employment indicators for women have also reached all-time highs. Last year, the female employment rate stood at 54.7 percent — up 5 percentage points from 49.7 percent in 2014, and 0.6 percentage points higher than 54.1 percent in 2023.

The number of employed women reached 12.652 million last year, an increase of 188,000 from the year before. Excluding 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the labor market, the number has risen every year.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM NAM-YOUNG [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]