Unmet Healthcare Needs in Unstable Jobs: Perspectives from Low-Skilled Migrant Workers in South Korea

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between precarious employment and unmet healthcare needs among low-skilled migrant workers with E-9 visas in South Korea, addressing health disparities in a rapidly aging society. Using microdata from the 2024 Survey on Immigrants’ Living Conditions and Labor Force (n = 2576), latent class analysis identified 3 employment types: High Precarity Type (37.8%), Moderate Precarity Type (34.0%), and Low Precarity Type (28.2%). Logistic regression, controlling for demographic, and immigration-related factors, showed that the Moderate Precarity Type (OR = .53, P < .05) and Low Precarity Type (OR = .37, P < .01) had lower odds of unmet healthcare needs compared to the High Precarity Type. Higher wages (OR = .48, P < .05) and income satisfaction (OR = .69, P < .01) reduced unmet needs, while workplace discrimination (OR = 2.43, P < .01) increased them. Employment status based on contract duration, working hours, and workplace size showed no significant associations. These findings highlight how structural vulnerabilities within the Employment Permit System (EPS) exacerbate healthcare access barriers. Policy recommendations include prohibiting workplace discrimination to promote equitable work environments, reducing healthcare copayments for low-income migrant workers, and reforming the EPS to ease workplace mobility and enhance visa stability.