IT산업의 특성과 여성의 전문직 진출 확대 가능성 검토 = On the Relationship between Rapid Growth in IT Industries and Female Labor Participation in Professional Occupations

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper studies the impact of rapid growth in IT industries on the female labor participation in professional occupations. Growth in IT industries tends to expand service industries and create jobs in these industries, and it is generally believed that this expansion in service industries also tends to increase the female labor participation. This trend, however, does not necessarily result in increase of female labor participation in professional occupations. Analysis on the relationship between expansion of service industries and occupations of female labor employment shows that the positive correlation is only observed in the traditional labor-intensive, low skill-based service occupations, not in skill-intensive, professional service occupations. Growth in IT industries directly increases the demand for the IT and IT-related experts, and indirectly increases that of skill-intensive labor. Analysis on the gender structure of current college registered-students shows that female students tend to major in non-IT related studies, such as literature and arts. The traditional M-type female labor participation curve also shows that female laborers have less advantage in skill formation through working experiences. Hence, increased demand for skilled labor stemming from expansion in IT industries does not directly increase the female employment in IT-related or in general professional occupations. Growth in IT industries tends to provide flexible working conditions and employment contracts. Up to now, these new types of employment are mainly due to the corporate restructuring processes, not directly related to the growth in IT industries.
Based on these arguments, this paper concludes that the rapid growth in IT industries is neither necessary nor sufficient condition for the increase in female labor participation in professional occupations.