University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0653
Survey Title The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers, 2009.4
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
Nesstar Not available
Summary This survey, “The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers,” 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 17th survey. In the 10th survey (October 2005), fixed-point survey items were revised, survey subjects were expanded to include people in their early 60s, and some other improvements were made. This survey reflects changes that were made then. All previous surveys are archived in the SSJDA.

Although there are finally some promising trends following the sudden economic downturn, the current state of the Japanese economy continues to be difficult. With regard to employment, in particular, the unemployment rate has increased to 5%, and it is necessary to keep an eye on this trend in the future.

While the employment situation is deteriorating, we focused on the points listed below in terms of workers’ consciousness to design and write questions for this survey.

(1) Perspective on the business climate and unemployment concerns
(2) Perspective on employment adjustments
(3) Impact on daily life

The main survey items are as follows:
〇 Awareness of economic trends and work
- Awareness of economy, wages, consumption, and unemployment [fixed-point observation survey]
〇 Awareness of and fact regarding employment adjustment
- Perspective on employment adjustment and employment maintenance
- Implementation of employment adjustment
〇 Life awareness
- Protecting lifestyle and household budget
- Anxiety in life under current circumstance
〇 Awareness of fixed rate benefits and employment creation areas
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 people    │   812 people        90.2% │  779 people         86.6%
In early 60s   200 people    │  179 people         89.5% │ 157 people           78.5%

Although this survey targets “employees working at private companies,” the sample contains 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. 33 of the respondents “in their 20s to 50s” and 22 “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 2009-04-02 ~ 2009-04-13
2009/04/02 (Thu) – 04 /13 (Mon)
Time Period 2009 ~ 2009
Spatial Unit saitama
chiba
tokyo
kanagawa
shiga
kyoto
osaka
hyogo
nara
wakayama
The Greater Tokyo Area (Saitama/Chiba/Tokyo/Kanagawa prefectures)
The Kansai region (Shiga/Kyoto/Osaka/Hyogo/Nara/Wakayama prefectures)

The Greater Tokyo Area Kansai region
In their 20s to 50s   65.9%   34.1%
In early 60s  66.9%   33.1%
Sampling Procedure Other
In order to gain a sufficient sample for those in their early 60s, the sampling rate was almost four times the rate used for those in their 20s to 50s.

(1) 20s to 50s:
The sample allocation criteria were prepared, 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, and employment status of the “2002 (Heisei 14) Employment Status Survey.” Based on these allocation criteria, 588 people living in the Greater Tokyo Area and 312 people living in Kansai region (900 people in total) were extracted from the access panel of INTAGE Inc. (approximately 240,000 people nationwide).

(2)  In early 60s
The sample allocation criteria were prepared in consideration of the distribution of private company employees in the Greater Tokyo area and Kansai region by gender and employment type of the “2002 (Heisei 14) Employment Status Survey.” Based on these allocation criteria, 200 people “aged 60 to 64 years” (Greater Tokyo Area: 130 people and Kansai region: 70 people) were sampled from the access panel of INTAGE Inc. (approximately 240,000 people nationwide).
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Questionnaires for self-administered mail survey were distributed

Data in the analysis are summarized separately for those in their 20s to 50s and those in their early 60s, owing the differences in sampling method for these two groups as outlined above. In the report, the survey of those in their early 60s is treated only as a reference, and the summary values in the survey pertain only to employees in their 20s to 50s.
Investigator Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, survey carried out by INTAGE Inc.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0653
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 the place of employment
- Evaluation of the current Japanese economy compared to one year ago, economic forecast for Japan one year later, work status, current business situation at the place of employment (performance) (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), increase or decrease in number of employees in company compared to one year ago (regular employees/non-regular employees) , increase or decrease in actual working hours, anxiety about becoming unemployed in one year

(2) Income, consumption, and life design
- Increase or decrease in personal wage income (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), increase or decrease in total household income (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), Increase or decrease in total household consumption (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), sense of fluctuation in prices (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later)

- Future life design, “pocket money” compared with one year ago, level of recent household income level, reduction in household spending/most reduced expenditure, nearby experiences of dismissal/unemployment, etc. (in the past year), someone respondent knows who experienced bankruptcy/employment adjustment/dismissal/unemployment (in the past year)

(3) Fixed-rate benefits, awareness of areas of employment creation
- Intention to receive fixed-rate benefits, use of fixed rate benefits/timing of use
- Priority areas of job creation

(4) Evaluation of work and life
- Evaluation of work and working conditions at the place of work (19 items), sense of excess or insufficiency of workers in relation to volume of work, time allocation for work and non-work activities, satisfaction level with work, satisfaction level with life in general, satisfaction gained through work compared to six months ago
- stress from job and in workplace compared to one year ago, health condition, asset value, degree of anxiety in life (estimated income /assets value/lifestyle design for retirement/own health/health of family)
- Whether respondent wants to work for a different company/reasons

(5) Actual condition and awareness of employment adjustment, vocational abilities
- Whether or not there have been employment adjustments in the past year, contents of employment adjustment, starting period of staff reduction, employment adjustment experience, changes in total working hours, change in work density per hour, existence of worries/insecurity about employment/person actually consulted/reason for not consulting anyone, whether employment, etc., should be protected by reducing profits and executive compensation, whether employment should be maintained through overtime work reduction, temporary closure, temporary transfer, etc.
- Knowledge of unemployment benefits and lay off, etc.
- Voluntary learning to develop vocational skills, “something respondent is good at” in occupational life at which others cannot outdo respondent, degree that respondent’s vocational skills will be useful in other companies


(6) Labor union
- Existence of labor union at place of employment, membership status, intention to become a member, whether a union is necessary


[Face items]
- Gender, age, marital status, highest level of educational attainment, actual working hours per week, annual wage income of respondent, annual household income, earners of wage income besides respondent, spouse’s employment status, spouse’s actual working hours per week, total amount of household savings, financial provider in the household, presence of children, age of the youngest child, employer’s industry, size of company by number of employees, occupation type, years of continuous employment

- The access panel registration information was used for other, area of residence, number of family members, household composition, type of residence, number of years at residence, etc.
Date of Release 2010/03/16
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Economic conditions and indicators
Employment
Labour relations/conflict
Working conditions
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Society/Culture
Version 1 : 2010-03-16
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.