The Study on New Poverty and Change of Poverty Policy in Korea

한국의 신빈곤현상과 탈빈곤정책에 관한 연구: 근로빈곤층(the working poor)의 실태를 중심으로

The object of the study is to examine the change of social-economic structure and poverty-shape to escape poverty. In Korea, the working poor have been increased by flexibility and division of labor market since the economic crisis in 1997, and are faced with hard conditions due to the vulnerable welfare system. Especially the workers who engage in irregular jobs were increased by restructure of labor market. Besides they are in unstable employment terms such as low payment, low-skill and exclusion from welfare-benefit. Many small independent businessmen are also in danger of poverty for enterprises trend to move abroad by globalization. Poverty policy in our country was focused on the absolute poor class that has relation with old age, unemployment, disable, disease etc, so they were the object of welfare policy. The poverties, however, are increasing rapidly after the economic crisis, and they work so hard but are still poor, that is, participation in labor market doesn't become an element to escape poverty. Thus the emergence of new poverties whose core consists of the working poor becomes to need new poverty policy. The study is to survey change of their economic conditions, their welfare conditions, their experiences and responses of social dangers after the economic crisis, then to explore the policy to escape poverty. As the result of the study, it shows that the working poor experienced many kinds of social dangers like unemployment, decrease of income etc. In their welfare conditions as their responses to the social dangers, the benefit of social insurance, enterprise welfare like legal retirement pay and paid leave and private welfare such as private pension and insurance are low. The working poor are faced with social dangers, moreover, they don't have skill or education for adapting themselves to information society. The study says that it needs variable policies for the working poor to escape poverty, and suggests payment & tax policies as stable income policy, occupational discipline and skill-education for promoting the quality of employment, moreover, social insurance as expansion of social welfare policy and housing & education policies whose objects are the working poor.

본 연구는 사회경제적 구조변화에 따른 빈곤형태의 변화를 고찰하고 신빈곤층의 탈빈곤을 위한 정책을 모색하는데 목적이 있다. 그동안 빈곤정책은 노령, 실업, 장애, 질병 등 노동능력 상실과 관련된 절대빈곤층에 초점을 두어 왔다. 그러나 경제위기 후 증가하는 빈곤의 특성은 노동시장 참여가 더 이상 탈빈곤의 요인으로 작용하지 않게 되었다. 본 연구는 근로빈민을 대상으로 경제위기이후 경제상황변화, 복지상황, 사회적 위험에 대한 경험 및 대응방식에 대해 경험적으로 조사하고 이를 기반으로 탈빈곤정책을 모색하고자 하였다. 연구결과 근로빈민층은 경제위기이후 실업, 소득감소 등 다양한 형태의 사회적 위험을 경험했으며 불안정한 고용상황, 취약한 복지상황을 보여주고 있으며 이를 기반으로 탈빈곤정책으로 소득안정정책, 직업훈련 및 기술교육정책, 적극적인 사회복지정책 등을 제시하였다.