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The number of Korean workers who took time off to take care of their children rose 1 percent in 2021 from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday.
A total of 173,631 workers took parental leave to care for their children last year, up 1,682 from 2020, according to data from Statistics Korea.
Women accounted for 75.9 percent of the workers on parental leave, far outnumbering their male counterparts.
The proportion of fathers on parental leave rose 1.5 percentage points on-year to 24.1 percent, reflecting the changing social norms. Males took up only 2.7 percent of people who used parental leave back in 2010.
By law, people with children under the age of 9 or below the third grade of elementary school are entitled to apply for a year of maternity or paternity leave.
The government provides financial support for subscribers to employment insurance who sign up for parental leave, which is aimed at tackling the country's ultralow birthrate.
Among mothers, those aged 30 to 34 accounted for the largest portion of 40 percent. For males, those aged from 35 to 39 took up 41.8 percent.
By industry, mothers working in the health care industry accounted for 18.4 percent, trailed by public administration and the education sector with 16 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively.
Among fathers, those working in the manufacturing industry took up the biggest slice of 22.4 percent.
The number of babies born here, meanwhile, reached yet another record low in September, leading to an overall decrease in the country's population, the latest data from the agency showed.
A total of 21,885 babies were born in September, down 0.1 percent from the previous year. It marked the lowest number for any September since the statistics agency started compiling related data in 1981. (Yonhap)
