Recent Research

Lee, S., & Burga Idrogo, C. "Beyond Earnings: The Multidimensional Job Quality Premiums for University Graduates in European Labour Market", Under Review 

Lee, S., Baldauf, B., Belvis, F., Bodin, T., Gevaert, J., Giradi, S., Ilsøe, A., Julià, M., Kokkinen, L., Larsen, T., Lipińska-Grobelny, A., Lundh, F., Mangot-Sala, L., Matilla-Santander, N., Merecz, D., Nurmi, H., Paszkowska-Rogacz, A., Sarter, K., Verdaguer, S., Vincente-Castellbi, E., & Warhurst, C. “On-location vs. Web-based: Unveiling Job Quality and Mental Health Disparities across European Gig Economies”, Under Review

Knox, A., Lee, S., Warhurst, C., & Wright, S. “Understanding the Relationship between Job Quality and General Health in Hospitality: Evidence from Australia”, Under Review

Lee, S., & Green, F. “Bad Jobs in South Korea: A Wellbeing-based Approach”, Under Review

Hong, Q. & Lee, S. “A Gloomy Future for Chinese Graduates? Comparing the Changing Effects of Higher Education Expansion on Wage Premiums in China and South Korea”, Under Review

Hartmann, E. & Lee, S. “Exporting Status Differences? The Stratification of British Transnational Higher Education”, Under Review

McGuiness, S., Staffa, E., Lee, S., Resende, R., & Baltina, L. (2025). Conceptualisations of skill shortages and skill gaps. Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). SkillsPULSE Project, HORIZON. 

Lee, S., & Green, F. (2024). Job quality in South Korea: Progress or decline? International Labour Review. https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/187578/ 

Erickson, E., Harris, J., Lee, S., & Warhurst, C. (2024). Understanding Barriers to Implementing Good Work Practices. Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/researchthemesoverview/researchprojects/barrierstogoodwork/ 

Green, F. & Lee, S. "‘Bad Jobs’ in Europe: Derivation and Analysis of a Wellbeing-Related Job Quality Threshold", Applied Research in Quality of Life.

Green, F., Lee, S., Zhou, Y. & Zou, M. (2024). “Work and Life: The Comparative Importance of Job Quality for General Well-Being”, Socio-Economic Review.

Yong, A. & Lee, S. (2024). "The Socioeconomic gap in the development of adolescents' occupational aspirations: Longitudinal evidence from South Korea", International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10775-024-09690-7 

Lee, S. (2023) "Does university level the playing field? The impact of spatial inequalities on the gap in the earnings of similar graduates: Evidence from the United Kingdom", Higher Education Policy, 36, 847-870. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-022-00292-y

Lee, S. & Vignoles, A. (2022). "Does college level the playing field? socioeconomic gaps in the earnings of similar graduates: Evidence from South Korea", Higher Education, 83(6), 1335-1354.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00745-0

Lee, S. (2021). A social ladder or a glass floor? The role of higher education in intergenerational social mobility. Higher Education Policy. http://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-021-00241-1

Lee, S. & Song, M. (2018). The socioeconomic ceiling and perceived employability in higher education. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 25(11), 231-258. https://www.dbpia.co.kr/Journal/articleDetail?nodeId=NODE07567388

Blogs

Lee, S. (Sep, 2024). Appropriately defining and targeting 'bad jobs' as a pathway to 'good jobs'. Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/news/?newsItem=8ac672c591fdee8101921e4e814c284c 

Lee, S. (June, 2024). Understanding the value of education: Exploring the return to education. LMI for All, Learning Units. https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/understanding-the-value-of-education-exploring-the-return-to-education/ 

Lee, S. (Dec 13, 2023). Time to broaden the definition of graduates' labour market outcomes. Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/news/?newsItem=8a17841b8c5ec695018c63d82ed42e29

Conference / Presentation

1. Paper presentation, the Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) Well-being Seminar, London School of Economics and Political Science in 2024

"Bad jobs in Europe: Derivation and analysis of a wellbeing-related job quality threshold"

2. Paper presentation, the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE) Webinar in 2024 

"Job quality premium: Trend changes in job quality in South Korea "

3. Paper Presentation, the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE) Workshop in 2023 – Unequal Graduate Outcomes: International Perspectives over the Long-Term 

"Job quality premium: Trend changes in job quality in South Korea"

4. Paper Presentation, the Korea Inequality Symposium in 2023

"Unequal labour market: Job quality premium for graduates and its trend in South Korea"

5. Paper Presentation, the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies in 2023

"Work and life: the comparative importance of job quality for general well-being"

6. Paper Presentation, CIPD Applied Research Conference in 2023 

"Work and life: the comparative importance of job quality for general well-being" https://events.cipd.co.uk/events/blog/session/1b-job-quality-and-workload-2/

7. Paper Presentation, Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) International Conference in 2021

"Does University Level the Playing Field? Impacts of Spatial Inequalities on the Gap in the Earnings of Similar Graduates: Evidence from the United Kingdom" https://srhe.ac.uk/arc/21/SRHE2021-0191.pdf

8. Poster Presentation, American Economic Association (AEA/ASSA) Annual Meeting in 2018.

"The Socioeconomic Ceiling and Perceived Employability in Higher Education: Evidence from South Korea"

9. Presentation, Global Education Conference 2016 - Harvard Graduate School of Education

"High Dropout Rates in Indonesia: Analysis with Bardach's Policy Framework and Policy Recommendations"

Research on Media

University World News (2024, Oct 9). Are overseas branch campuses reproducing class privilege? https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20241008154820578 

Times Higher Education (THE). (2021, July 14). Top Korean universities more 'glass floor' than 'social ladder'. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/top-korean-universities-more-glass-floor-social-ladder?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial-daily&mc_cid=2358ae5c99&mc_eid=5ba6edcad2.

Inside Higher Ed. (2021, July 16). No Equalizer. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/07/16/study-higher-education-not-equalizer-korea

EBS NEWS (2021, Sep 9). Colleges in South Korea: A Social Ladder or A Glass Floor? (한국 대학은 사다리인가 유리 바닥인가?). https://news.ebs.co.kr/ebsnews/menu1/newsAllView/60102987/H?eduNewsYn=R&newsFldDetlCd=CORNER_17

EBS NEWS (2021, Sep 9). How to Improve Social Mobility in Society (대학에 공정한 '사다리'를 놓는 방법). https://news.ebs.co.kr/ebsnews/menu1/newsAllView/60103387/H?eduNewsYn=R&newsFldDetlCd=CORNER_17

The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) (2021, Oct 11). The Stratified Higher Education System in the US and South Korea. https://myacpa.org/blog-the-stratified-higher-education-system-in-the-u-s-and-south-korea/