Unmarried workers in 20s 30s spend more than married

Workers in their 20s and 30s spend an average of 14,800 won ($12.9) daily, with unmarried workers spending more than those who are married, according to a survey conducted by JobKorea Tuesday. 

The job search portal recently surveyed 2,427 workers, who are in their 20s and 30s, and asked nine questions regarding their daily expenses during work hours. Of the total 2,427 workers, 1,320 people were married and 1,107 were unmarried.

The survey found that the average daily spending of unmarried workers was more than that of the married workers. Unmarried workers spent an average of 16,790 won per day, whereas those who have tied the knot spent an average of 13,150 won, according to the data.

“Married people tend to avoid unnecessary expenses, including refreshments and luxuries,” Sookmyung Women’s University business professor Seo Yong-gu told The Korea Herald. “Unmarried individuals are relatively free from family expenses, making it easier for them to open their pockets, compared with married people,” he added.

The survey also looked into where the money is being spent. When asked to choose what they mainly spend their money on, 57.1 percent and 57 percent of respondents answered food and transportation, respectively. Some 36 percent of people chose on-the-go refreshments, including coffee and cigarettes.

The survey also questioned whether respondents were satisfied with their spending patterns, and 61.8 percent, or 1,501, said they were not satisfied. Of them, 63.2 percent cited their relatively large amount of expenses, compared with their income.

Among the answers, 486 said they were concerned about their spending on refreshments, and 309 said they still buy them because they cannot cut them off.

When asked whether they would like to change their spending patterns, 71.9 percent said “yes.” Of those 1,744 people, 54 percent answered that they want to save more money, and 43.5 percent said that they want to spend more money on themselves.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)