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Does downsizing take a toll on retained staff? An analysis of increased working hours in the early 2000s in Japan

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  • Genda, Yuji
  • Kuroda, Sachiko
  • Ohta, Souichi

Abstract

Using several kinds of micro data from household, employee, and retrospective surveys, this study examines the increase in the working hours of regular male employees in Japan during the serious recession of the early 2000s. The most important finding of this study is that working hours tended to be long among regular male employees in firms with major employee adjustments. The results suggest that the existence of abundant fixed duties necessary to maintain the internal organization of a firm primarily account for the increase in working hours of male employees during the recession.

Suggested Citation

  • Genda, Yuji & Kuroda, Sachiko & Ohta, Souichi, 2015. "Does downsizing take a toll on retained staff? An analysis of increased working hours in the early 2000s in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jjieco:v:36:y:2015:i:c:p:1-24
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jjie.2015.02.003
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bibha Dhungel & Tomoe Murakami & Koji Wada & Shunya Ikeda & Stuart Gilmour, 2022. "Difference in Mortality Rates by Occupation in Japanese Male Workers Aged 25 to 64 Years from 1980 to 2015," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    3. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2018. "Uncertainty over Working Schedules and Compensating Wage Differentials: From the viewpoint of labor management," Discussion papers 18015, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    4. OKUDAIRA Hiroko & TAKIZAWA Miho & YAMANOUCHI Kenta, 2022. "Does Employee Downsizing Work? Evidence from Product Innovation at Manufacturing Plants," Discussion papers 22015, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    5. Takaku, Reo, 2020. "Reversal pattern of health inequality: New evidence from a large-scale national survey in Japan," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(11), pages 1254-1262.
    6. Yamaguchi, Yohei, 2019. "A practice-theory-based analysis of historical changes in household practices and energy demand: A case study from Japan," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 207-218.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hours worked; Employee adjustments; Japan’s lost decades;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General

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