Hairdressing is a highly skilled technical profession, yet it is one of the occupations with an extremely high turnover rate. The main drivers are the long working hours resulting from mandatory technical practice after closing hours and non-operational chores, combined with the low wage levels during the assistant period. The pressure to acquire skills and achieve results, compounded by severe working conditions, creates a structure where many young hairdressers leave the industry prematurely.
This article provides a detailed explanation of the factors contributing to the high turnover rate in this profession, examining them from four perspectives: working conditions, compensation/benefits, workload, and career development.
Turnover Rates in the Living-related Service and Entertainment Industries (Reference Data)
While hairdressing is a technical skill, the overall turnover rate for this industry is high compared to other sectors.
| Category | Living-related Service and Entertainment Turnover Rate | Average Turnover Rate Across All Industries |
| Annual Turnover Rate | 20.1% (2022) | 15.0% (2022) |
| Turnover Rate within 3 Years (New University Graduates) | 46.5% (March 2022 Graduates) | 33.8% (March 2022 Graduates) |
| Turnover Rate within 3 Years (New High School Graduates) | 52.2% (March 2022 Graduates) | 37.9% (March 2022 Graduates) |
1. The Issue of Working Hours (After-Hours Technical Practice)
In addition to working around customer schedules, the “practice time” unique to a technical profession contributes to excessively long working hours.
Mandatory After-Hours Work:
- Normalization of Technical Practice: Technical practice for cutting, coloring, perms, and other skills is often mandatory after the salon closes in the evening, leading to extremely long hours of actual time commitment. This practice time is often unpaid (service overtime).
- Ancillary Tasks: Chores such as cleaning, laundry, inventory management, and meetings frequently occur outside business hours, further extending the time commitment.
Weekend and Holiday Work:
- Essential Weekend Presence: Since most customers visit on their days off, working weekends and public holidays is mandatory, making it difficult to take continuous or extended time off.
- Prolonged Standing: Work, including practice time, involves long hours of standing, leading to the accumulation of physical fatigue.
2. The Issue of Compensation and Benefits (Low Wages During the Assistant Period)
Wages during the critical skill-acquisition phase are often insufficient for a reasonable standard of living, leading to financial anxiety and turnover.
Low Pay in Early Career:
- Assistant Salary: Salaries during the assistant period (approximately 2-3 years), before qualifying as a stylist, are often set very low, leading to financial instability.
- High Incidence of Unpaid Overtime: If the aforementioned practice time is not recognized as working hours, the hourly wage becomes extremely low, leading to high dissatisfaction.
Self-Payment of Expenses:
- Employees are often required to purchase their own expensive tools and materials necessary for the job, such as scissors, shear cases, and practice mannequins, which significantly reduces their effective take-home pay.
- Poor Insurance and Benefits: Small, privately owned salons may have inadequate social insurance coverage or limited benefits, leading to anxiety about the future.
3. Workload and Mental Stress (Pressure to Acquire Skills and Emotional Labor)
This profession involves a combination of high technical demands and the emotional labor of a service role.
Pressure to Acquire Skills:
- Time Anxiety: There is constant, intense pressure to acquire skills and deliver results within a set timeframe, such as “Stylist Debut in 3 Years.”
- “Craftsman” Guidance: In workplaces retaining an old-fashioned “craftsman” culture, strict guidance or scolding from seniors and managers can be a major source of stress.
Emotional Labor and Customer Interaction:
- High Service Demands: The burden of emotional labor is high, requiring employees to maintain a smile and meticulous attention to detail for customers at all times.
- Complaint Handling: Harsh evaluations and complaints from customers regarding hairstyle results or service during the treatment lead to mental exhaustion.
Physical Strain:
- Occupational Hazards: Physical strain includes skin irritation from chemicals and chronic stress on the back and feet from prolonged standing.
4. Issues with Career Development and Training Systems
A lack of clear educational systems, with skill acquisition relying heavily on individual effort, accelerates turnover.
Personalization of Training:
- Lack of Unified Curriculum: Technical guidance is often left to the discretion or spare time of individual seniors and stylists, leading to variability in the content and quality of training and differences in growth speed.
Limited Career Options:
- Strong Desire for Independence: Since the ultimate goal is often “independent business ownership/opening a salon,” fewer individuals aim for internal promotions (Store Manager or Area Manager), which hinders organizational talent development and retention.
- Unstable Pay Structure Transition: After debuting as a stylist, the pay structure often shifts drastically from a fixed salary to a commission-based system, creating anxiety about securing stable income.
The Structure of the Vicious Cycle
The hairdressing industry exhibits a clear vicious cycle: “Low assistant wages and long hours from after-hours practice → Mental and physical exhaustion and anxiety over skill acquisition → Quitting before gaining full experience → The burden of chores and training falls on the remaining staff.” The severe working conditions in the early career phase, demanded by the high specialization of the job, are the major cause of turnover.
