The employment rate of female workers in Japan (65.8% in 2011) is around 10%p higher than that of their Korean counterparts across all age groups. Just like Korea, however, Japan is also experiencing the “M-curve” phenomenon where the employment rate drops sharply among women in their early 30s, meaning that many of them quit their job in their early 30s to get married and give birth and find a job again in their early and mid-40s after their children grow up. This curve is especially evident in Korea and Japan among OECD member states.
(Full text only available in Korean)