Demographic decline hits PhD prospects as academic jobs dry up

Korea’s demographic decline is making it harder for PhD holders to find academic positions as university budgets fall, a scholar has warned. 

New data shows Korean PhD graduates are struggling to find work that aligns with their qualification level. 

In a survey of 10,442 doctoral degree holders who graduated from a Korean university in 2024, the unemployment rate was 27 per cent – the highest since data collection began a decade ago. 

According to the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET), which collected and analysed the data, the most popular reason for pursuing a doctoral programme, given by 37 per cent of respondents, was to become a professor or researcher. 

However, according to Jisun Jung, associate professor of higher education at the University of Hong Kong, university budget cuts are directly impacting the number of academic positions available.

“The expansion of higher education in Korea has stagnated, with recent concerns about university closures and mergers due to a declining school-age population,” she said. 

According to figures from the Korean Council for University Education, the number of students eligible to enter university will be down 39 per cent in 2040 compared to 2020. 

“Universities have implemented conservative budget plans to reduce costs,” Jung said. “Consequently, limited academic positions are available across universities.”

The openings that do exist “tend to be concentrated in technology-driven, professional-oriented, or liberal education-focused areas”, she continued. “On the other hand, many PhD graduates adhere to traditional disciplinary boundaries, resulting in a mismatch between their training and the available academic roles.”

Younger researchers are particularly affected, with the survey finding that employment rates are lower for those under the age of 30 at 52 per cent, compared to 80 per cent for those over 40.

Of those who have found a job, 39 per cent work in universities, followed by 21 per cent in private companies. 

The findings follow research that suggests there is a so-called “wage penalty” for PhD holders in South Korea as increasing numbers of students pursue postgraduate education, with 44 per cent of doctoral holders who participated in a 2018 study self-identifying as “over-educated” for their job. 

Analysis of their wages “indicates that over-educated workers earn less than those with the same level of educational attainment but who work in jobs that fully utilise their education”, wrote authors of the study, published in the Asia-Pacific Social Science Review. 

There are also concerns about the working conditions of doctoral students and junior researchers in Korea’s universities, with a succession of reports of ill-treatment in recent years. 

Despite this, interest in PhD studies shows little sign of waning. According to government statistics, 17,673 domestic PhD holders graduated in 2022, compared to 14,316 in 2016, a 24 per cent increase. 

In neighbouring Japan, in comparison, the number of PhD holders has gradually declined in recent years. 

“Despite diminishing returns, students persist in pursuing PhDs. Most candidates do not anticipate falling into the category of ‘unemployed’ or ‘casually employed’ after graduation,” said Jung, adding that, once someone has begun a research-focused career, it can be difficult to change paths. “From a cultural standpoint, a PhD is still regarded as educational success, [because it means] achieving the highest qualifications.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com