Korea has achieved rapid economic growth led by the government since the 1960s, and in the process, the demand for migrant workers with non-professional employment visa escalated. Although they have become part of Korean society, where the industrial ...
Korea has achieved rapid economic growth led by the government since the 1960s, and in the process, the demand for migrant workers with non-professional employment visa escalated. Although they have become part of Korean society, where the industrial structure of Korea cannot be maintained without them, they are placed in inadequate working conditions. Poor working conditions can cause job dissatisfaction, which can negatively affect migrant workers' productivity, and it can also provoke undocumented stay. In other words, identifying the factors that affect migrant workers' level of contentment with their jobs is essential to improve their job satisfaction. This will ultimately help maintain the structure of Korean society.
Previous studies conducted on the job satisfaction of migrant workers did not sufficiently cover the family relation dimension despite of the interconnection between work and family life. However, this study consists of both work and family relation dimensions as there are inevitable influences between work and family based on the Spillover theory. In addition, Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory was also used as a reference in selecting work dimension factors. Furthermore, individual dimension factors were also put into the research model considering previous studies identified the importance of individual dimension factors in job satisfaction studies. Weighing the fact that there may be differences in factors affecting job satisfaction depending on gender, the analysis was independently performed by classifying based on gender.
This study utilized the data from the '2020 Immigrants' Living Condition and Labour Force' collected with the cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the National Statistical Office. SPSS version 26.0 was used for analysis. To identify the characteristics of the study subjects and major variables, frequency analysis, and descriptive analysis were performed. Also, Chi-square test and independent sample t-test were conducted to verify the differences between major variables based on gender. In addition, an independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were performed to confirm whether there was a difference in job satisfaction according to individual, work, and family relation dimensions. Pearson's Correlation analysis was conducted to determine the existence of the correlation among major variables. Finally, the hierarchical multiple-regression analysis was done to identify the factors affecting job satisfaction. The process of the study follows the following steps: first, the individual dimension factors were inserted, then the workplace dimension factors were input, and the family relations factors as the final step.
The analysis results of this study are summarized as follows. Focusing on the third stage of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, which is the final model of this study, Men's job satisfaction was affected by individual, work, and family relation dimensions. Specifically, health status and Korean proficiency were positively associated with job satisfaction among individual dimension factors. Yet, within the workplace dimension factors, only the average monthly wage influenced migrant workers' job satisfaction. Regarding family relation dimension factors, loneliness and spouse status were statistically related to job satisfaction. The fact that the spouse status variable was identified as a factor affecting job satisfaction indicates that living with a partner in Korea leads to higher job satisfaction compared to individuals without a partner. On the other hand, loneliness negatively influenced employees' job satisfaction.
In contrast, women's job satisfaction was affected by just the individual dimension and family relation dimension. Among the individual dimension factors, age and health status were positively associated with job satisfaction, whereas loneliness was the only negatively associated with job satisfaction.
Based on the study's results, political and practical implications were suggested to improve the job satisfaction of non-professional migrant workers.