University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0516
Survey Title The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers, 2006.4
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
SSJDA Data Analysis 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 and their current state of work and living.

The survey has been conducted regularly in April and October of every year since the first survey in April 2001, and this is the 11th. In the 10th survey (October 2005), we added a number of improvements, including a revision of the fixed-point observation items and expansion of the survey subjects to people in their early 60s, and these are reflected in this survey as well. All surveys conducted to date are archived in the SSJDA.

While the sustained trend of long-term economic recovery has continued since the beginning of 2002, it is finally beginning to steadily improve in terms of the employment and income environments. However, from the viewpoint of achieving security and stability in working life, there remains a great deal of anxiety and concern. In addition, issues of inequality and dissatisfaction in Japanese society are also subjects of major discussion.

For that reason, we have included two topics: “consciousness of inequality” and “opinions on income redistribution, employment/labor policy” as the items in this survey.
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Private company employees in their 20s to early 60s who live in the Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size
Number of questionnaires distributed│     All respondents│      Employed
                         │ Valid responses  Valid response rate │Valid responses  Valid response rate
“In 20s to 50s”  900        │   819          91.0% │  781          86.8%
“In early 60s”   200        │  172          86.0% │ 151           75.5%

Although this survey targets “employees working at private companies,” responses include the ones from some respondents who are not employees, owing to a change in their employment status from the time they registered for the access panel and the time the survey was conducted. 38 of the respondents “in their 20s to 50s” and 21 “in their early 60s” in the current survey fall under this category of non-employees. The survey results of only employed people were analyzed. 
Date of Collection 2006-03-31 ~ 2006-04-10
2006/03/31 (Fri) – 04/10 (Mon)
Time Period 2006 ~ 2006
Spatial Unit kanto
kinki
The Greater Tokyo Area Kansai region
“In 20s to 50s”    65.0%   35.0%
“In early 60s”   65.6%   34.4%
Sampling Procedure Other
The sample allocation criteria for the original survey subjects, “people in their 20s to 50s,” were prepared same as before, taking into account the population size of private employees in the Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region, as well as the distribution of employees by gender/age group of the “2002 (Heisei 14) Employment Status Survey.” Based on these allocation criteria, 900 people living in the Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region were extracted from the access panel of INTAGE Inc. (approximately 220,000 people nationwide).

In order to secure a large enough sample, we set the extraction rate of the newly-added “early 60’s” group at nearly four times that of the “20’s to 50’s” group. With respect to private employees of “60 to 64 years old” in the “2002 Employment Status Survey,” the sample distribution criteria were prepared in consideration of distribution by gender and form of employment in the Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region. Based on these distribution criteria, 200 residents in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region of “60 to 64 years old” were extracted from among the INTAGE Inc. access panelists (approximately 220,000 people nationwide).
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Questionnaires for self-administered mail survey were distributed
As mentioned above, due to difference in sampling method between the groups “in their 20’s to 50’s” and “in their early 60’s,” these were summarized separately in analysis.
Investigator Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, survey carried out by INTAGE Inc.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0516
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 (performance) (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), increase or decrease in number of employees compared to one year ago (regular employees/non-regular employees), increase or decrease in actual working hours compared with one year ago, anxiety about becoming unemployed in one year

(2) Income, consumption and living conditions
Increase or decrease in personal wage income (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), increase or decrease in household income (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), income and expenditure of entire household in the past year, sense of fluctuation in prices (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later)

(3) Evaluation of work and life
Things respondent considers important about work, evaluation work at the place of employment (11 items), time allocation for work and non-work activities, whether respondent wants to work for a different company/reasons, satisfaction level with work, satisfaction level with life in general, health condition

(4) Labor union
Existence of labor union, affiliation to a union, intention of becoming a union member, whether a union is necessary

(5) Consciousness of inequality in Japanese society as a whole and among employees in the workplace
Difference in income between individuals (comparison with five years ago, desirable changes in the future), difference in financial assets among households (comparison with five years ago, desirable changes in the future), difference in real estate between households (comparison with five years ago, desirable changes in the future), factors that increased income difference among individuals, status identification based on personal income/household financial assets/household real estate

Differences among regular/non-regular employees and differences among male and female regular employees (wages/treatment, education and training opportunities compared to five years ago, desirable changes)

(6) Support/non-support for income redistribution policy and employment/labor policy
Support for income redistribution policy (increase in income tax burden on the higher-income class, reduction of income tax burden on the lower-income class, strengthen taxation on assets-related income, strengthen taxation on inherited properties, mitigating the regressivity of consumption tax, support for households in straitened circumstances)

Support for employment and labor policy (improvement of income security for unemployed people, strengthening employment measures for young people, improvement of public vocational ability development, strengthening employment security for part-time workers/temporary staff (haken shain), promotion of equal treatment of part-time workers/dispatched workers (haken shain), increasing legal minimum wage)

Face items:
Gender, age, marital status, highest level of educational attainment, actual working hours per week, annual personal income (wage, wage + others), annual household income, household earners other than respondent, spouse’s employment status, spouse’s actual working hours per week, financial provider, political party supported, employer’s industry, size by number of employees, occupation type, years of continuous employment

In addition, the access panel registration information was used for household composition, area of residence, type of residence, and number of years of residence.
Date of Release 2007/03/01
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Economic conditions and indicators
Employment
Labour relations/conflict
Working conditions
Equality, inequality and social exclusion
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Society/Culture
Version 1 : 2007-03-01
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.