The biggest challenge for mothers who gave birth within the past year is physical and mental stress rather than economic burdens, a recent survey shows.
According to a poll conducted with 1,003 mothers in August and September last year by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs that was released Thursday, 48.8 percent of respondents said “physical and mental difficulty” was the biggest challenge. That was followed by high costs (18 percent) and juggling work with child care (17.8 percent).
Responses concerning physical and mental difficulty stood at 50.1 percent for mothers with their first child and slightly decreased to 45.2 percent for those with their second child.
On the other hand, the share citing high costs increased to 21.6 percent for the second child, compared to 16.7 percent for the first child.
Among respondents, 52.7 percent retained their jobs after giving birth. Some 25.1 percent left their jobs, while 19 percent remained out of the workforce and 3.2 percent entered the workforce after childbirth.
The biggest reason for leaving the workplace was a lack of child care options, cited by 26.3 percent of respondents. That was followed by difficulty juggling work and child care (24.8 percent) and the belief that child care has more value than working (18.3 percent).
As for husbands, 92.4 percent were found to have retained their jobs after having a child.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
