Do Age, Gender, and Sector Affect Job Satisfaction? Results From the Korean Labor and Income Panel Data

Although job satisfaction is a primary human resource management concern, there is little empirical research considering job satisfaction in non-Western countries. In Korea, reforms aim to make the public service more competitive and diverse and have led to the recruitment of more women and young people. This study uses data from the Korean Income and Labor Panel Study to explore the relationship of age, gender, and service sector with job satisfaction. No substantial difference was found in the perceived job satisfaction of public employees of different ages, but an unexpected negative association was found in a subsample of private employees. Korean public and nonprofit employees are more satisfied with their jobs than private employees are but are less satisfied with their wages than with job security and job content. The study supports the expectation hypothesis and suggests there is a gender effect on job satisfaction, particularly for wages and work environment.