Non-regular workers

An employment form whose contract period or working arrangement differs from regular employment, and a key issue in wage and employment stability gaps and the dual structure of the labor market.

Non-regular workers

Overview

Non-regular workers (비정규직, 非正規職) are employment forms contrasted with regular workers, collectively referring to workers whose employment contract has a fixed term, who work short hours, or who work through indirect employment such as dispatch, service contracting, or special employment. As a representative dual-structure problem in the Korean labor market, they show clear gaps with regular workers in wages, employment stability, social insurance coverage, and promotion opportunities. After the 1997 foreign exchange crisis, fixed-term and dispatched work surged, bringing the issue to the fore, and it remains central to debates over the minimum wage, platform labor, and labor reform.

Main details

Definition and scope

There is no single legal definition of non-regular workers. Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Employment and Labor identify them through a broad category encompassing fixed-term (contract), part-time, non-standard work such as dispatch/service/hosted work, and special employment types (insurance agents, study-material teachers, delivery riders, etc.). Academically, they are often classified along three axes: (1) continuity of employment (permanent/temporary/daily), (2) working hours (full-time/part-time), and (3) directness of the employment relationship (direct/indirect employment).

Main types

Fixed-term workers: Workers whose employment contract specifies a term. Under the Act on the Protection, etc. of Fixed-Term and Part-Time Workers, use beyond two years triggers an obligation to convert to an open-ended contract.
Part-time workers: Workers whose contractual weekly working hours are shorter than those of ordinary workers. Ultra-short-time workers (less than 15 hours per week) may be excluded from weekly holiday pay and annual leave.
Dispatched/service-contract workers: Under the Dispatch Act, permissible dispatch work and periods are limited, and illegal dispatch can create an obligation of direct employment.
Special employment/platform workers: Although contracts take the form of subcontracting or entrustment, they are often in practice under the direction of the user, making recognition of their status as workers a key issue.

Scale and statistics

According to the supplementary survey of Statistics Korea's Economically Active Population Survey, the share of non-regular workers among wage workers has fluctuated around 35–40%. During COVID-19, the share temporarily rose due to the blow to face-to-face service industries, then showed a recovery. However, the scale varies greatly depending on statistical criteria, and some point out that including special employment and platform workers would make the real scale larger.

Legal status and labor law

The Labor Standards Act in principle does not limit the employment contract period, but the Fixed-Term Workers Act deems use beyond two years as an employment contract without a fixed term. The Dispatch Act limits permissible dispatch work and stipulates the obligation of direct employment; a 2019 amendment made direct employment mandatory for dispatch exceeding two years. In addition, through the discrimination correction system, it prohibits discrimination without reasonable grounds compared with regular workers engaged in the same or similar work. However, the effectiveness of actual remedy procedures and the determination of employer status in in-house subcontracting/subcontract structures remain highly controversial.

Wage and treatment gaps

Non-regular workers earn lower hourly wages than regular workers and have lower enrollment rates in social insurance such as employment insurance and the National Pension. With lower employment stability, they face greater risk of unemployment and poverty, and the share of non-regular workers is relatively high among young people, women, and older age groups. This is analyzed as a factor deepening income inequality and gaps between generations.

Social impact

The non-regular worker issue goes beyond a simple employment form, connecting to the dual structure of the labor market, young generations' life planning, low birth rates and aging, and weakened social mobility. The fact that low union density makes it difficult for them to have a collective voice is also treated as a major point in policy discussions.

Latest trends

In 2024–2025, recognition of platform/special employment workers as workers and expanded application of social insurance are key issues. The government and the National Assembly are discussing measures to gradually expand employment and industrial accident insurance coverage for platform workers, and standard contracts and insurance premium support policies for delivery, designated driving, and domestic service workers are expanding. In addition, as population aging and youth employment difficulties intersect, reemployment support for middle-aged and older non-regular workers and improving the quality of youth jobs have emerged as policy tasks.

As demands for labor market flexibility and demands for stronger employment stability collide, debates continue over the two-year rule for fixed-term work, expansion of permissible dispatch work, and working-time reform. The spread of generative AI and automation is also affecting the structure of contract and service jobs in clerical and service occupations, increasing the need for job retraining and career transition support for non-regular workers. Internationally, the ILO and OECD point out gaps in social protection for non-regular employment and clearly recommend the principle of equal pay for equal work and strengthening universal social safety nets.