University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0687
Survey Title The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers, 2009.10
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, “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 18th 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.

The Japanese economy has been picking up, against the background of an increase in exports, particularly to Asia, as an effect of economic measures in various countries around the world. However, autonomy is poor and the unemployment rate is also at a high level of approximately 5%, which remains a difficult economic situation. In particular, regarding the employment situation, the indicators tend to lag behind the economic trends; thus, it is necessary to pay close attention to these trends.

In this survey, in addition to the above-mentioned questions based on the economic situation, we are also investigating what type of voting behavior workers adopted in the general election of the House of Representatives held in August. The focus points and main survey items are as follows:

(1) Perspective on the economy and work
(2) Perspective on government measures to boost the economy in terms of consumption, households, consumption-related activities
(3) About workers’ attitudes toward policies and politics and their voting behavior
〇 Awareness of economic trends and work
- Awareness of economy, prices, working hours, wages, and unemployment [fixed-point observation survey]
〇 Workplace, personal development
〇 Life and consumption awareness
- Household budget situation
- Eco-points, purchase of target products such as tax-deducted eco-cars
- Thoughts on childbirth and childcare support
〇The House of Representatives election in August 2009
- Political party supported, political party voted for, reasons for supporting a political party, attitude toward change of government
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

*People in their early 60s were also eligible for the survey, but their results are used for reference purposes only in the report.
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size
Number of questionnaires distributed Valid responses Valid response rate
In 20s to 50s  900 people 796 people 88.4%
(Reference) In early 60s 200 people 161 people 80.5%
Date of Collection 2009-10-02 ~ 2009-10-12
2009/10/02 (Fri) – 10/12 (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)
Kansai region (Shiga/Kyoto/Osaka/Hyogo/Nara/Wakayama)
Sampling Procedure Probability: Stratified
Other
The sample allocation criteria were prepared, taking into account the distribution of gender, age group, and employment status of employees in their 20s to 50s in the Greater Toyo area (Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa prefectures) and the Kansai region (Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and Wakayama prefectures) in the “2007 (Heisei 19) Employment Status Survey.” Based on these allocation criteria, 588 private company employees living in the Greater Tokyo Area and 312 private company employees living in Kansai region were sampled from the access panel of INTAGE Inc. (approximately 240,000 people nationwide). The ratio of the total sample of the Great Tokyo Area and Kansai region (approximately 2:1) is almost proportional to the population size ratio of these two areas.

In order to obtain an adequate sample for the survey of those in their early 60s, a total of 200 people were sampled, which is around four times the actual proportion of this age group in the “2007 Employment Status Survey.” For this reason, data on those in their early 60s are summarized separately from those in their 20s to 50s, including when deriving mean values.
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.0687
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, employment status,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 (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later) (regular employees/non-regular employees), increase or decrease in actual working hours (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), increase or decrease in non-scheduled working hours (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later), anxiety about becoming unemployed in one year

(2) Income, consumption
- 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)

- Reduction in household spending, monthly household budget situation/method of compensating for deficits, household expenditure items that have become more burden compared to one year ago
- Eco-points, purchase of target products such as tax-deducted eco-cars, usage of highways after introduction of ETC discount
- Thoughts about childbirth and childcare support by national and local governments, maternity and childcare support that should be emphasized

(3) Evaluation of work and life, development of vocational skills
- Evaluation of work and working conditions at the place of work (11 items), sense of excess or insufficiency of workers in relation to volume of work, satisfaction level with work, satisfaction level with life in general
- Degree of anxiety in life (expected income/lifestyle design for retirement/own health)
- Self-enlightenment, purpose and method of self-enlightenment

(4) Labor union
- Presence of labor union, membership status, intention to become a member, whether a labor union is necessary

(5) House of Representatives election in August 2009
- Political party supported at the time of the election, whether voted,political party voted for/political party of the candidate voted for (electoral district,proportionally represented district), reasons for voting for these parties, degree at which manifestos affected voting, desire for a change of the regime at the time of the election, future life and society based on the election result

[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 other than respondent, spouse’s employment status, spouse’s actual working hours per week, total amount of household savings, situation of household loans, contributor to the household economy, 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 2010/05/20
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Economic conditions and indicators
Employment
Labour relations/conflict
Working conditions
Political behaviour and attitudes
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Society/Culture
Version 1 : 2010-05-20
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.