우리나라 저출산의 실태와 개선방안연구

Abstract

South Korea's birth rate has drastically declined since the 1960s and, in 1983, reached the replacement level, 2.1 births per woman. Since the mid-1990s, the Korean birth rate has continued to remain below 1.6 births per woman. From then on, into the year of 2010, this low-birth trend below 1.0 birth has persisted. This continuous low-birth trend is expected to worsen the labor shortage and increase the working population's burdens of supporting aged people, leading to an overall crisis in the social security system. Furthermore, the aging labor force will cause a drop in labor productivity, which will then slow down potential economic growth and undermine national competitiveness. This study examines the causes and effects of Korea's low birth rate and intends to suggest appropriate solutions for effective policies to recover the domestic birth rate by comparing and analyzing the low fertility rates and responses of OECD countries.

First, emphasis should be placed on employment stability and job security as solutions to guarantee women's economic activities, which directly affect the birth rate. Second, as a policy to support non-regular female workers, these workers should be allowed to use post-birth maternity leaves and a maternity protection system. More than half the female workers in Korea are working within small businesses, and the vast majority of them hold non-regular positions. Therefore, pays for the entire period of leaves before and after birth should be incorporated into social insurance policies so that all female workers can feel free to use their leaves. Third, to alleviate parents' burdens of rearing their children and provide quality childcare, government-funded and public childcare and educational institutes should be expanded. Fourth, as an economic boost, more effective finances should be secured and put toward the budgets for infant and child support policies or child allowance systems. As well, the expenses borne by families due to birth should be applied to a grading system through income tax deductions and household incomes should be also ensured during childcare. Fifth, the last solution suggested in this study emphasizes the importance of change in awareness of government and members of our society. Fundamentally, working conditions and corporate culture should be improved to promote gender equality and allow women to balance their family and work. As well, the utilization of men's childcare leave system or the introduction of a father allocation policy should help institutionalize men's participation in taking care of their families. Therefore support at the policy level is necessary to help the government, companies, and people realize the social value of childcare and harnomize family and social life.