The Consistency of Japan fs Statistics on Working Hours, and an Analysis of Household Working Hours

Rieko Nagamachi
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Rieko Nagamachi: Principal Economist, Japan Center for Economic Research

Public Policy Review, 2015, vol. 11, issue 4, 623-658

Abstract: This study examines the consistency of Japan fs statistics on working hours and investigates changes in and the structure of working hours since the late 1980s, from the perspective of household labor supply. The major findings are as follows. First, as a result of comparisons among various sets of governmental statistics on working hours, we found that although there was consistency within household-side statistics and within employer-side statistics, there were some differences between the two sets of statistics, particularly with regard to male respondents. Second, analysis using micro data from the Labour Force Survey showed that between 1986 and 2013, there was no change in the average weekly working hours of either husbands or wives in married-couple households, but this was a significant change in the labor supply structure of wives.The employment rate of married women generally increased, and the number of households with a full-time homeworker declined, but an increase in the number of wives with short working hours curbed an increase in wives f working hours.Third, regarding wives f decisions to work, Douglas -Arisawa's Law- which refers to a negative correlation between husbands f income levels and wives f employment rates -was found to be strongly evident. We also found that in child-rearing households, the tendency of number of husbands f working hours having a constraining effect on wives f labor supply had increased in recent years. Men fs working arrangements have a great influence not only on their own individual- level work-life balance, but also on their households f behavioral choices. Therefore, it is necessary to include in household surveys question items that shed light on household working arrangements, such as the main work-time periods and number of paid working hours.

Keywords: working hours; household working hours; children; Labour Force Survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D13 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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