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Do Japanese Work Shorter Hours than before?: Measuring Trends in Market Work and Leisure Using 1976-2006 Japanese Time-Use Survey

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  • Kuroda, Sachiko
  • 黒田, 祥子
  • クロダ, サチコ

Abstract

Using Japanese time-use data from the Survey on Time Use and Leisure Activities (STULA), this paper measures trends in average hours worked (market work) and leisure for Japanese over the past three decades. OECD reports at least a 15 percent decline in market work for Japan since the 1970s. However, holding demographic changes constant, we found that market work per week increased from the 1970s until mid 1980s, and has been relatively stable for the last two decades for both male and female full-time workers. Furthermore, although the market work per week remained relatively constant since the mid 1980s, we found a significant change in the allocation of time to market work within the week during the period. Specifically, when dividing samples into weekdays (Monday through Friday) and weekends (Saturday and Sunday), average hours spent for market work per weekday among full-time males increased by 0.4 hour since the mid 1980s, whereas a significant decline in market work on Saturday was observed. This suggests that people shifted their work time from Saturday to weekdays in response to the reduced work week introduced by the amendment of the Labour Standards Act at the end of 1980s. In the meantime, commuting time and home production had decreased by 3 hours since the mid-1980s for full-time female workers, indicating that the average hours of leisure had increased for females even though market work remained the same. Interestingly, however, hours for sleep declined consistently over the last three decades, resulting in a 3-4 hour reduction per week for both male and female workers. Lastly, a comparison of Japanese and US time use data suggests that Japanese work much longer than their American counterparts. On average, Japanese males work 8.6 hours longer per week, and Japanese females 6.5 hours longer, than Americans, even after adjusting for demographic differences between the countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuroda, Sachiko & 黒田, 祥子 & クロダ, サチコ, 2009. "Do Japanese Work Shorter Hours than before?: Measuring Trends in Market Work and Leisure Using 1976-2006 Japanese Time-Use Survey," PIE/CIS Discussion Paper 419, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    • Handle: RePEc:hit:piecis:419
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    1. Kohei Daido & Ken Tabata, 2013. "Social Norms on Working Hours, Work-Life Balance, and Fertility Choice," Discussion Paper Series 108, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised Sep 2013.
    2. Jungmin Lee & Daiji Kawaguchi & Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2012. "Aggregate Impacts of a Gift of Time," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(3), pages 612-616, May.
    3. Kawaguchi, Daiji & Lee, Jungmin & Hamermesh, Daniel S., 2013. "A gift of time," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 205-216.
    4. Tabuchi, Takatoshi, 2023. "Backward-bending labor supply and urban location," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    5. Tabuchi, Takatoshi, 2022. "Backward-bending Labor Supply and Urban Location," MPRA Paper 114810, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. GENDA, Yuji & KURODA, Sachiko & OHTA, Souichi, 2011. "Does downsizing take a toll on retained staff? An analysis of increased working hours during recessions using Japanese micro data," ISS Discussion Paper Series (series F) f154, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo.
    7. Endoh, Masahiro, 2021. "Offshoring and working hours adjustments in a within-firm labor market," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    8. Kawaguchi, Daiji & Naito, Hisahiro & Yokoyama, Izumi, 2017. "Assessing the effects of reducing standard hours: Regression discontinuity evidence from Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 59-76.
    9. Vinod Mishra & Russell Smyth, 2012. "Work Hours in Chinese Enterprises: Evidence From Matched Employer-Employee Data," Monash Economics Working Papers 10-12, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    10. 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.
    11. Cui, Dan & Wei, Xiang & Wu, Dianting & Cui, Nana & Nijkamp, Peter, 2019. "Leisure time and labor productivity: A new economic view rooted from sociological perspective," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 13, pages 1-24.
    12. 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.
    13. Rieko Nagamachi, 2015. "The Consistency of Japan fs Statistics on Working Hours, and an Analysis of Household Working Hours," Public Policy Review, Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance Japan, vol. 11(4), pages 623-658, September.
    14. 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.
    15. Yukawa, Shiho, 2012. "教養娯楽価格が出産に与える影響 [The Effect of Recreational Goods Price on Fertility]," MPRA Paper 35808, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Kajitani, Shinya, 2021. "The return of sleep," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).

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