Hyunggi Park | Department of Sociology, Sungkyunkwan University
Seokho Kim | Department of Sociology, Sungkyunkwan University
Jungwhan Lee | Department of Sociology, Cheongju University
This study examines how foreign workers’social networks are related to their
turnover experiences. It especially focuses on the effects of social network
properties on the outcomes of job search activity among migrant workers under the
“Employment Permit System(EPS)” in Korea. The Data analyzed in this study is
from the 『2010 Survey on Employment and Living Conditions of Migrant Workers
in Korea』conducted by Human Resources Development Service of Korea. The data
include 776 migrant workers from Vietnam, Philippine, Indonesia, Thailand,
Sri-Lanka and Mongolia. The result are as follows. Firstly, the larger migrant
workers have friend from the same country or the higher they have capability to
collect new job information, the higher the likelihood to change the occupation.
Secondly, strong ties are more efficient than weak ties when it comes to the
transmission and dissemination of job information. Thirdly, participation in Korean
voluntary associations turned out to be significantly decreasing the possibility that
migrant workers change their workplaces.
Key Words: Foreign Workers, Social Capital, Social Network, Turnover, Employment Permit System
Korea Journal of Population Studies 2014, 37(1), 2014.3, 31-57