This study was designed to identify the relationship between emotional labor and depressive symptoms among Korean industrial service employees.

The case group consisted of 331 employees who were performing emotional labor at department stores, hotels, and family restaurants in Seoul. The control group in this study consisted of 150 employees (90 officers in Seoul and 60 manufacturing workers in Incheon) who were not expected to perform emotional labor. A structured questionnaire was used to estimate each participants level of emotional labor, general characteristics, job content, job satisfaction, and any depressive symptoms. The measurements for emotional labor were performed only on the case group and not the control group.

While the mean values of job satisfaction, job insecurity, and the level of depressive symptoms of the employees who were working in the area of emotional labor were higher than the others, the mean values of job demand, and job control in the same group were lower than those who were not performing emotional labor. Overall, it was found that performing emotional labor and having high levels of job insecurity were related to increased depressive symptoms, and conversely, job satisfaction played a role in reducing depressive symptoms. Similarly, in the sub-sample of the emotional labor group, high levels of job insecurity, and performing high degrees of emotional labor, and low job satisfaction were associated with depressive symptoms.

These results suggest that performing emotional labor is related to an increase in depressive symptoms. In other words, involuntary emotional expression and low job satisfaction in the workplace may influence the level of depressive symptoms in workers. It is, therefore, imperative that further research be undertaken, which considers the importance of emotional labor, and its adverse effect on the mental health of service workers.