University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0683
Survey Title RENGO: Questionnaire Survey on Unemployed People's Living and Job-seeking Activities, 2009
Depositor Japanese Trade Union Confederation
Restriction of Use For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' at SSJDA website.

- Apply to SSJDA. Depositor'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 Against a backdrop of continued worsening of the employment outlook, especially the rapid increase in unemployment since the fall 2008 economic crisis, this survey was conducted in June 2009 on unemployed people and non-regular workers in search of work, for the purpose of (1) understanding the lives and state of job hunting of unemployed people and (2) providing reference material for improving policies for employment insurance and job training.

For the main survey items, question items were prepared on current employment/household finances, satisfaction and anxieties about life, job hunting activities, and work history and circumstances of leaving a previous job.

Furthermore, this survey was distributed/collected two ways: via (1) Internet access panel and (2) Jinzai Service General Union (JSGU). The survey data set combined both (1) and (2). In addition, in the report, the overall survey was separately summarized, divided into “unemployed people” and “job hunters (= job hunting non-regular workers).”
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Unemployed people and job-hunting non-regular workers (part-timers/casual part-timers (arubaito), contract workers, registered dispatched (haken) laborers)
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size (1) Internet (monitor) survey
Valid responses: 935 people

(2) JSGU survey
Valid responses: 69 people (number of questionnaires distributed: 300 people), valid response rate: 23.0%
――――――――――――――――――――――――
Valid responses: Total 1,004 people
 Including, “unemployed people”: 676 people
“Job hunters”: 328 people
Date of Collection 2009-06-24 ~ 2009-07-15
Time Period 2009 ~ 2009
Spatial Unit
Sampling Procedure Non-probability: Quota
See Mode of Data Collection below
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire
Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
(1) Internet (monitor) survey
Allocation criteria were prepared reflecting the number of gender-/age-stratified unemployed people from their 20s to 50s, based on the “Labor Force Survey” (April 2009) and the gender-/age-stratified allocation of the separately estimated number of job hunting non-regular workers. Questionnaires were distributed to a Macromill, Inc. access panel based on these allocation criteria.

(2) JSGU survey
JSGU was requested to distribute questionnaires for 300 people which were sent back by mail to and collected by RENGO.
Investigator Japanese Trade Union Confederation entrusted the survey to Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, (1) survey of an Internet access panel carried out by Macromill, Inc.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0683
Sponsors (Funds)
Related Publications (by the Investigator) Please refer to the abstract in Japanese.
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation [Questionnaire]
Major Survey Items Both the (1) “Internet (monitor) survey” and (2) “JSGU survey” used the same questionnaire.

(1) Work status/state of household finances
- Current employment status/work status/state of job hunting
- Current state of household finances (income sources, amount of unemployment insurance [unemployment allowance] received, presence of loans)
- Past year’s household income, next year’s household income outlook
- Overall household savings
- Number of household family members requiring school expenses
- Sense of burden associated with social insurance premiums/living expenses (public pension insurance premiums/health insurance premiums/medical expenses/educational expenses)
- State of economizing household finances

(2) Satisfaction and anxieties with life
- Degree of satisfaction with overall life
- Confidence to achieve goals and make dreams come true in working life in the future
- Degree of anxiety about post-retirement life plan/personal health/family health/personal future work career/securing a place to live

(3) Job hunting activities
- Timing of employment (whether respondent wants to find a job as soon as possible, or take time to find an ideal job)
- Desired workplace and employment status
- Conditions respondent regards as important in job hunting
- Job listing sources
- Whether or not respondent has sought job advice and received counseling/when
- Job training at public vocational skills development facilities or private training centers (whether or not experienced, directed to attend classes by Hello Work (public employment security office), reasons for not receiving job training)
- Whether or not respondent has self-study learning experience for job hunting in the past year
- Number of companies to which respondent submitted applications, number of companies from which respondent received interviews, reasons why interviews did not lead to employment
- Things respondent is good at and bad at in job hunting activities (by type of activity)
- Outlook for finding desired place to work
- Obstacles to job hunting activities

(4) Work history and circumstances of leaving a previous job
- Whether or not respondent has any post-graduation work experience
- Number of years of employment at previous jobs (per regular employment and non-regular employment)
- Degree of usefulness of work skills learned at previous job at another company
- Acquiring skills that respondent is “good at doing” and can do better than other people through work
- Degree of satisfaction with past employment (working life and career/vocational skills developed through work/personal connections gained through work)
- Employment status at previous job
- Occupational type of previous job
- Average real weekly working hours at previous job
- Involvement in labor union at previous job
- Years of employment at previous job
- Month and year of resignation or dismissal from previous job
- Reasons for resignation from previous job, number of days between giving notice of retirement and retirement, payment of severance pay, labor union response to “forced retirement,” “dismissal,” “bankruptcy/business closure.”
- State of receiving employment insurance (unemployment benefits)

(5) Individual respondent attributes
- Gender
- Age
- Current marital status
- Spouse’s employment status
- Presence of dependent children
- Age of youngest dependent
- Presence of dependent parents/grandparents
- Number of dependents
- Whether or not cohabiting with parents or children
- Highest level of educational attainment
- Current home
- Current area of residence
Date of Release 2010/07/15
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Income, property and investment/saving
Unemployment
Working conditions
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Version 1 : 2010-07-15
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.