University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0182
Survey Title RENGO Survey on Life Styles, 1988
Depositor Japanese Trade Union Confederation
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Period of Data Use Permission One year
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Summary The lives of workers are changing dramatically as they approach the 21st century. Internationalization, informatization, aging of the population is advancing in the socio-economic world. We are faced with the situation where we have to largely change our institution, which assumes peoples' lives to be 60 years, into one that assumes peoples' lives to be 80 years. RENGO has been engaged in a movement which aims to bring "quality" into life, and has set a short-term goal of its "life struggle" to raise the "quality" standard up to the European and American standards. This survey was conducted for the purpose of obtaining the basic data necessary to advance its "life struggle" more stringently. The survey asked questions such as what the current situation of RENGO union members' lives is like, and what their wishes and problems are in every day lives. The characteristics of this survey are as follows. (1) RENGO conducted Surveys of Life in 1984 and 1985; some of the search items used today were already included in the 1984 and 1985 surveys. Those items are current financial situation of the household and major concerns of life (housing, education, working hours and holiday and vacation days). Answers to those items were compared between 1984/1985 and current. In addition, with regards to housing, working hours and holiday and vacation days, more questions were included in order to clarify what the present problems are. (2) Questions were carefully examined so that the achievements and problems of Japanese workers lives, the changing life style of workers and the contents of current life-security system could be understood. Also, questions regarding assets and the widening of a regional disparity were included.
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Members of sub-organizations under RENGO, who are head of the household (including those who are single). The following households, however, were excluded. (1) Households which have income from business including family business. (2) Households which include persons under long medical treatment or persons with disability. (3) Households the head of which is on a long business trip or lives away from his family for work-related reasons.
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size 14,250 questionnaires distributed, 10,711 effective response (75.2%) obtained.
Date of Collection 1988-07 ~ 1988-08
July - August 1988.
Time Period 1988 ~ 1988
Spatial Unit Japan
All over Japan.
Sampling Procedure Non-probability: Quota
Based on a distribution rule questionnaires were distributed to sub-organizations, within which questionnaires were distributed to the respondent. (1) Questionnaires were distributed evenhandedly by taking into consideration the location and the size of the enterprises who are sub-organizations of RENGO. (2) Questionnaires were distributed evenly among people in their 20s through 50s. Respondents' jobs were taken into account so that they are diverse.
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Questionnaires were distributed to the respondents through sub-organizations. Each respondent put the questionnaire into an envelop after answering it, and they were collected and opened at the sub-organization level.
Investigator RENGO and RENGO research institute.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0182
Sponsors (Funds)
Related Publications (by the Investigator) "Achieving a Life with Quality---Report of the 1988 RENGO Survey of Life," January 1989, RENGO.
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation [Chosa-hyo]
Major Survey Items Demographics:
Sex, age, years of service, educational history, household members, number of financially dependent children, size of population and the prefecture of the place of residence, type of job, size of the enterprise, type of business of the enterprise.

Survey Items:
(1) Financial situation of the household: income of the household; spouse's reasons to work; total wage income in July; tax and social insurance deducted from July's income; total income of the household in July; average monthly expenditure of the household.
(2) Housing: type; the way respondent came to own a house, when, at what age, price, the way the respondent prepared the initial expense to buy a house, (those who own a individual detached house) size of the land; floor space of the house; monthly housing-related expense and whether the respondent finds it expensive; preparation for house repair and remodeling.
(3) Education: the age of the oldest and the youngest children; annual educational expense (tuition and other private tutorial expense) and whether the respondent finds it expensive; education plans for children.
(4) Over-time work and vacation days: commuting hours; average monthly hours of over-time work; reasons for working over-time; the extent to which annual vacation days are used; ways to enhance the use of annual vacation days.
(5) Ways to use free time: how much free time the respondent has during work days; number of vacation days the respondent gets during Golden Week, ways to spend the Golden Week holiday, expense, level of satisfaction.
(6) Stock: amount of savings, reasons for saving.
(7) Health and Welfare: health condition; care for the aged parents; respondent's ways of caring for the aged parents.
(8) Current situation of life: evaluation of family; current situation (21 items); level of satisfaction for current life.
(9) Changes in life style: ideas and thoughts on life style and working style (11 items).
(10) Present and future of Japanese society: thoughts on the future of Japanese society (12 items).
Date of Release 2004/06/18
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Working conditions
Equality, inequality and social exclusion
Leisure, tourism and sport
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Society/Culture
Version 1 : 2004-06-18
Notes for Users Data Sets are written in Japanese.