University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0341
Survey Title The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers, 2003.10
Depositor JTUC Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards
(Former Name:Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards)
Restriction of Use For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' at SSJDA website.

- Apply to SSJDA. SSJDA's approval required.
Educational Purpose Available for both research and instructional purposes.
Period of Data Use Permission One year
Access to Datasets Download
Nesstar Not available
Summary This survey aims to clarify economic, employment, and living trends as seen from the perspective of workers and to obtain basic information with which to consider policy issues from the perspective of improving employment and quality of life. This is done by periodically exploring workers’ attitudes toward economic trends in Japan, their current state of work and living, future perspectives, and so on.

At the Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, we periodically conduct questionnaire surveys to clarify trends in the Japanese economy and the current state of employment and living from the viewpoint and attitude of workers to obtain information to understand the current economic situation. Simultaneously, we explore the mid-to-long term improvements in living standards through fixed-point observation of quality of life. The first survey was conducted in April 2001, the second survey in October 2001, the third survey in April 2002, the fourth survey in October 2002, the fifth survey in April 2003, and this is the sixth survey. Previous surveys are archived in the SSJDA.

This time, survey items included questions regarding the situation of working hours and unpaid overtime.

Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Private company employees in their 20s to 50s who live in the Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size
Number of questionnaires distributed  Valid responses  Valid response rate
Total      900    787    87.4%
Valid respondents of the fourth survey      627    553    88.2%
Newly extracted in the sixth survey      273    234    85.7%

Please note that while the target subjects of this survey are “people employed in private companies,” some unemployed people were included in the sample. This was due to changes in some people’s work status between the time of registration as the access panel member and the time of survey. After excluding 39 responses of unemployed people, the number of valid responses was 748 and the rate of valid responses was 83.1% (86.7% in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region).
Date of Collection 2003-10-10 ~ 2003-10-20
2003/10/10 (Fri) – 10/20 (Mon)
Time Period 2003 ~ 2003
Spatial Unit kanto
kinki
The Greater Tokyo Area: 65.7%, Kansai region: 34.3%
Sampling Procedure Other
The sample allocation criteria were prepared taking into account the population size of private employees in the Greater Tokyo Area tan Area and Kansai region and in consideration of the distribution of employees by gender/age group of the “2002 (Heisei 14) Employment Status Survey.”

Based on these allocation criteria, 900 people who live in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region were extracted from the access panel of INTAGE Inc. (approximately 100,000 people nationwide).

Taking into account the fact that question 25 (policy challenges) uses the same wording as the fourth survey conducted in October last year, and in order to ascertain the changes in the same respondent over the course of one year with regard to the other questions as well, this survey drew on samples from valid responses to the fourth survey, where possible.

Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Questionnaires for self-administered mail survey were distributed
Investigator Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, survey carried out by INTAGE Inc.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0341
Sponsors (Funds)
Related Publications (by the Investigator) Questionnaire
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation
Major Survey Items Questionnaire items:

(1) Economic trends and business situation at place of employment
Current Japanese economy compared with one year ago, reasons for feeling the economic climate is good or bad, Japanese economic forecast one year later, work status, current business situation at place of employment

(2) Restructuring at the place of employment and unemployment concerns
Implementation of recession policies in the past year (staff reduction, downsizing of a business division, restrictions on overtime, temporary transfers, relocations, wage cuts), anti-recession policies implemented, anxiety about work and about deteriorating working conditions, changes in the situation that are currently occurring or could occur in the future at the place of employment, experiences at work and regarding working conditions, desire to change place to work and reasons, measures for self-protection against unemployment, anxiety about becoming unemployed in next one year, reemployment under the same conditions after unemployment, nearby experience of bankruptcy, unemployment, etc. and to whom it happened

(3) Income, consumption and living conditions (comparison with one year ago/perspectives for one year later)
Increase or decrease in personal wage income, increase or decrease in household income, reasons for increase or decrease in household consumption and reasons for the change, sense of fluctuation in prices, changes in household living conditions

(4) Level of life satisfaction
Satisfaction level with daily life (income, assets, living environment, leisure/spare time, work, inner happiness, life in general).

(5) Evaluation of policies, social security system
Evaluation of government’s efforts to address policy issues (economic measures, early treatment of nonperforming loans, stabilization of the financial system, measures for industrial/corporate revival, employment measures for maintaining/creating employment, etc., financial reconstruction, review of public projects, comprehensive regulatory reform, reform of the welfare and pension system, reform of health care system, review of roads construction, reform of postal services, reform of local government system, reform of tax system, countermeasures to the declining birthrate), approval or disapproval of expansion of eligibility for welfare and pension system

(6) Working hours/unpaid overtime and necessity of labor unions
Predetermined working hours, work beyond normal working hours, number of excessive working hours compared with usual, reason for working beyond normal working hours, eligibility for overtime allowance, percentage of overtime hours actually paid, reason for unpaid overtime, efforts to reduce unpaid overtime compared to one year ago

Face items:
Gender, age, marital status, highest level of educational attainment, annual household income, respondent’s annual income, primary breadwinner, existence of earners other than respondent himself or herself, employer’s industry type, size by number of employees, occupation type, years of continuous employment, experience of changing jobs, labor union (existence, membership status, intention of becoming a member),whether labor union is necessary, political party of the candidate respondent is planning to vote for in the upcoming general election of the House of Representatives

In addition, the access panel registration information was used for area of residence, household composition, type of residence, and number of years at residence. 

Date of Release 2004/07/28
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Economic conditions and indicators
Employment
Labour relations/conflict
Working conditions
Specific social services: use and availability
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Society/Culture
Version 1 : 2004-07-28
2 : 2007-03-19
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.