An analysis of studies related to postpartum employment continuity in Japan and Korea

¹ Department of Cultural and Creative Studies, Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
² Department of Library and Information Science, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea
³ Department of Japanese Studies, College of Humanities, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonbuk, South Korea

^* Corresponding author: yjkoh@sccs.aoyama.ac.jp

Abstract

This study clarifies research trends regarding the evolution of postpartum employment continuity in Japan and South Korea through research fields and keyword analyses. Based on the analysis of 135 Japanese and 108 Korean papers, we find that research in Japan was concentrated in the fields of sociology, nursing, medicine, business administration, and economics. In contrast, Korea concentrated on the fields of women’s policy studies, women’s studies, education, economics, and sociology. Keyword analysis showed that in Japan, postpartum employment continuity was considered important for work-life balance and regarded as an issue that requires social regulation. Additionally, postpartum employment continuity was suggested to be influenced by women’s intention to return to the same workplace. Similarly, in South Korea, postpartum employment continuity was also considered part of work-life balance. Furthermore, it was regarded as a women’s issue or a policy issue, suggesting that postpartum employment continuity may not necessarily involve returning to the same workplace. Still, it may include changing jobs or temporarily discontinuing one’s career.