University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0705
Survey Title Survey on the Condition of Knowledge on Labor-related Legal Systems, 2008
Depositor Counsellor Department of Labor Policy attached to Director General, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Restriction of Use For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' at SSJDA website.

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Educational Purpose Only available for research.
Period of Data Use Permission One year
Access to Datasets Download
Nesstar Not available
Summary With the increased use of non-regular workers, individualization of labor contracts, and further diversification of employment statuses, it has been indicated that knowledge of labor-related legal systems, especially knowledge of worker rights, is problematically not being fully disseminated.

This survey study was conducted for the purpose of grasping the state of understanding of basic knowledge on labor-related legal systems, to comprehensively investigate the role that ought to be played in future by school education, labor-management groups, local NPOs, prefectural labor bureaus, and local governments.

This survey required an assessment of the knowledge of young adults of labor-related legal systems as well as an assessment of their knowledge once they actually enter the workforce as a member of society (shakaijin) and was therefore divided into respective surveys of students and adults (shakaijin).
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe [Student survey]
Male and female students aged 15 to 24 years (high school students, university students, etc.)
*“University students, etc.” includes students in university, specialized training college, junior college, college of technology, and graduate school.

[Adult (shakaijin) survey] 
Male and female workers aged 20 to 39 years (regular employees, non-regular employees)
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size [Student survey]
 Number of questionnaires distributed: 540 people
 Number of responses: 481 people (response rate: 89.1%)
 Valid responses: 474 students (valid response rate: 87.8%)

[Adult (shakaijin) survey]
 Number of questionnaires distributed: 1,080 people
 Number of responses: 997 people (response rate: 92.3%)
 Valid responses: 946 people (valid response rate: 87.6%)
Date of Collection 2008-10-30 ~ 2008-11-10
Time Period 2008 ~ 2008
Spatial Unit Japan
Japan
Sampling Procedure Other
Sampling of candidates meeting the conditions below was done for each survey using a nationwide mail survey panel belonging to the survey company (INTAGE, Inc.).

Extraction was done based on registered survey panel members’ attribute information, and responses from members whose employment status and other conditions changed after questionnaire collection were considered invalid.

[Student survey]
It was designed to collect 400 responses of male and female students aged 15 to 24 years (male and female high school students: 100 each, male and female university students, etc.: 100 each). A total of 540 questionnaires were actually sent, assuming a response rate of 75% and likelihood of invalid responses from adults (shakaijin), etc.

[Adult survey]
It was designed to collect 800 responses of male and female workers aged 20 to 39 years, reproducing percentages of regular and non-regular employees for corresponding ages according to the “2007 (Heisei 19) Employment Status Survey (2nd Table).”
  (Regular employees: 377 men, 188 women
  Non-regular employees: 75 men, 160 women)
A total of 1,080 questionnaires were sent, assuming a collection rate of 75% and likelihood of invalid responses such as from non-employed people.
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Mail survey
Investigator Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, survey carried out by INTAGE Inc.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0705
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 [Questionnaire: student survey]
(1) Basic attributes
 - Gender/age
 - School respondent belongs/year in school

(2) Career path
 - Desired future path/state of job-hunting
 - Size of prospective employer which has already given respondent unofficial job offer/occupation type
 - Desired work style from late 20s to around30s

(3) Casual part-time (arubaito) job
 - Presence of experience
 - Occupation type
 - Monthly wages/working hours per week

(4) Experience at casual part-time (arubaito) workplace
 - Experience with unfair treatment
 - Situation of attempted solutions/resolution
 - Reasons for not attempting to resolve

(5) Knowledge of labor-related systems
 - Terminology recognition/learning experience
 - Case outcomes (whether there are legal violations)
 - Experience taking career path lectures

(6) Other
 - Regular behavior
 - Communication
 - Work and socializing
 - Living conditions around age 15
 - Grades in third year in junior high school
 - Percentage of students who advanced to university at respondent’s high school

[Questionnaire: Adult survey]

(1) Basic attributes
 - Gender/age
 - Marital status/presence of children aged 6 years or younger
 - Highest level of educational attainment

(2) Employment status
 - Employment status and length of service
 - Industry/occupation type/company size
 - Annual income
 - Presence of a labor union/membership status
 - Actual working hours/state of taking paid leave
 - Presence of rules of employment/storage location thereof
 - Whether or not respondent has any experience changing jobs

(3) Knowledge of labor-related Legal Systems
 - Terminology recognition
 - Case outcomes (Whether there are legal violations)

(4) Workplace experience
 - Experience with unfair treatment
 - Situation of attempted solutions/resolution
 - Reasons for not attempting to resolve

(5) Other
 - Living conditions around age 15
 - Grades in third year in junior high school
 - Anxieties about reduced working conditions and unemployment
 - Expectation of changes in workplace conditions
Date of Release 2011/04/07
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Labour relations/conflict
Working conditions
Legislation and legal systems
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Version 1 : 2011-04-07
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.