Nearly seven in 10 South Koreans saw their income fall in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a survey revealed on Thursday.
In the survey conducted by the Korea Institute of Public Administration, 68 per cent said their average monthly income was lower in 2021 than in 2019 before the pandemic struck, reports Yonhap News Agency.
Only 30 per cent said their income rose, while the remaining 2 per cent said it remains unchanged.
Those who earned less lost 1.25 million won ($1,038) per month on average, while those who earned more saw their monthly income increase by 786,700 won on average.
The income decrease appeared to be attributable to shorter working hours amid the pandemic.
Respondents worked 6.34 hours per day on average before the pandemic but worked 5.62 hours after the pandemic broke out, down by 0.72 hours, or 43 minutes.
They stayed longer at home, doing house chores and spending more time with their family, after the pandemic.
The survey also showed that 39.2 per cent of respondents said they became unhealthier and 43.7 per cent said their mental health deteriorated during the pandemic.
The government's anti-virus measures received a positive assessment in general, with the mandatory face mask rule, self-isolation of all inbound travellers and no-assembly order on adult entertainment facilities receiving over 4 points on a 5-point scale, according to the survey.
--IANS
ksk/
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU