An Empirical Study of Working Hours and Job Satisfaction in the First Job of College Graduates: Weighted Analysis Using 2019 GOMS Data

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study analyzed the relationship between working hours in the first job and job satisfaction among college graduates using data from the 2019 Graduate Occupational Mobility Survey (GOMS). The study specifically aimed to empirically examine the impact of first job working conditions (working hours, employment type, major-job match) on job satisfaction while controlling for demographic characteristics such as gender, age, and region.
The analysis used a valid sample of 10,000 respondents from the 2019 GOMS raw data and conducted weighted descriptive statistics and weighted least squares regression. The findings showed that: First, the average weekly working hours of college graduates was 37.0 hours, with males (38.9 hours) working longer hours than females (35.6 hours). Second, higher major-job match was significantly associated with higher first job satisfaction (E22). Third, there was a nonlinear relationship where excessively long working hours were associated with decreased satisfaction. Fourth, regular employment showed significantly higher satisfaction compared to non-regular employment.
These findings suggest the importance of qualitative factors in working conditions on job satisfaction during initial labor market entry, and recommend the need for university-job linkage education and working hours improvement policies. In particular, the study confirmed the necessity of strengthening career education to improve major-job match, establishing institutional mechanisms to guarantee appropriate working hours, and supporting policies for youth transition to regular employment.