Three out of 10 salaried workers in South Korea began career on irregular status, a survey found.

According to a survey conducted by local job website Job Korea on 242 wage-earners aged between 20 and 39, 68.6 percent said their first job was a permanent position. The other 31.4 were hired on irregular basis.

The ratio of irregular-term hire differed by gender and academic degree.

While 32.5 percent of females started career on irregular basis, the ratio was lower at 29.3 percent for men. The ratio was 48.5 percent for those applying jobs with high school diploma, while it was 30.1 percent for vocational college graduates and 27.9 percent for four-year university graduates.

Half of them - or 46.7 percent - said they took any job they landed after frustrating search. The ratio was higher 51.3 percent for those who settled for temporary position.

Asked why they agreed to a temporary position, 34.2 percent said they wanted to be employed. Just 15.8 percent said they took the job because they wished to work for the company even when it is non-permanent position.

By Choi Hee-seok and Cho Jeehyun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]