University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 1054
Survey Title The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers, 2015.4
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' on the SSJDA website.

- Apply to SSJDA. SSJDA's approval is 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 The purpose of this survey is to periodically explore workers’ attitudes toward economic trends in Japan and their current state of work and living through a questionnaire survey and to obtain basic information with which to consider policy issues from the perspective of improving quality of life of workers.

The survey has been conducted regularly in April and October of every year since the first survey in April 2001, with its principal purpose being the clarification of the state of and views regarding work and living of a diverse range of workers. In addition to the fixed items regarding views of workers on the state of the Japanese economy, commodity prices, and work, etc., the 29th survey includes items: “household budget situation and consumption behavior/saving behavior” as an auxiliary fixed-point survey (as of April) and items: “usage of bonus,” “economic situation after three years, own wage forecast after five years,” “recognition of income inequality and stratum identification,” and “voting behavior in the 2014 general election of House of Representatives” as specific topics.

Since the 21st survey (conducted in April 2011), a change was made from the previous mail access panel survey to an Internet-based web access panel survey to expand the number of survey targets. This survey is the 9th survey to be conducted in such a way.
Data Type quantitative research: micro data
Universe Private company employees in their 20s to early 60s who live in the Greater Tokyo Area or Kansai region
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size People in their 20s to 50s: 1,845, in early 60s: 155
Date of Collection 2015-04-01 ~ 2015-04-06
2015/04/01 – 04/06
Time Period 2015 ~ 2015
Spatial Unit saitama
chiba
tokyo
kanagawa
shiga
kyoto
osaka
hyogo
nara
wakayama
The Greater Tokyo Area(Saitama/Chiba/Tokyo/Kanagawa prefectures)
Kansai region (Shiga/Kyoto/Osaka/Hyogo/Nara/Wakayama prefectures)
Sampling Procedure Non-probability: Quota
1. Based on 2,000 people, which is the number of survey subjects that was assumed in advance, we created sample allocation criteria reflecting the distribution ratio of gender, age group, and employment status of employees aged 20 to 64 years, located in the Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region according to the “2012 (Heisei 2014) Employment Structure Basic Survey.”

2. Based on the allocation criteria, among the private company employees (approximately 60,000 subjects) residing in the Greater Tokyo area and Kansai region who are registered with INTAGE Inc., we randomly sampled each layer to obtain responses above the allocation criteria and requested them to respond to the questionnaire.

3. The sample was determined randomly from among the responses received, ensuring that the number sampled from each group accorded with the allocation criteria.

*Note that INTAGE Inc. mainly searches for access panel participants via Internet sites and recruitment advertisements in newspapers and magazines, etc.
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Computer-assisted (CASI)
Internet-based web access panel survey (self-administered on line)
Investigator Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, survey carried out by INTAGE Research Inc.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.1054
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 condition
Japan’s economic environment, business situation at the place of employment, increase or decrease in number of employees, increase or decrease in actual hours worked, unemployment concerns, etc.

(2) Income, consumption, living conditions
- Increase or decrease in personal wage income, increase or decrease in total income of household, increase or decrease in total household consumption, sense of fluctuation in prices, household living conditions


(3) Evaluation of work and life
- Recognition of current work, intention to change jobs, satisfaction level with current work, satisfaction level with life in general, etc.

(4) Labor union
Existence of labor union at the place of employment, membership status/intention to join/necessity of a union

(5) Situation of household budget and consumption behavior/saving behavior (April fixed-point survey)
Annual household income and expenditure over the past year, prospect of overall income and expenditure after one year compared with present, whether respondent is cutting down on expenses for some items (dining out/clothing, etc.)

(6) About “usage of bonus,” “economic situation three years from now, forecast of own wage five years from now,” “recognition of income inequality and status stratum identification,” and “voting behavior in the 2014 general election of House of Representatives”

- Usage of bonus
Whether a bonus will be offered this winter, increase or decrease in bonus compared to previous winter, main usage of bonus

- Economic situation three years from now, forecast of own wage after five years from now
Forecast for economic/employment situation three years later, forecast for increases and decreases in wages/prices, etc., three years from now, forecast for increase and decrease in wages in five years, forecast for wages five years later (comparison with current employees who are five years senior)

- Recognition of income inequality and status identification
Income gap (compared with five years ago), main factors for increase in income gap, thoughts about changes in income gap (the next five years), thoughts about the main factors in increasing income gap, status identification (five levels)

- Voting behavior in the 2014 general election of the House of Representatives
Whether respondent voted in the general election of the House of Representatives, political party voted for in “single-seat electoral district” and “proportional representation,” reason for voting for that party, biggest factor in deciding to vote for that party, political party supported

[Face items]
Gender, age, area of residence, employment status, employment contract period, employer’s industry, highest level of educational attainment, marital status, family members who share the same household income, age of the youngest child, financial provider in the household, spouse’s employment status, size of company by number of employees, occupation type, years of continuous employment, working hours, annual wage income, annual household income, household savings, loan situation, support for the current Cabinet, etc.


*For details of survey items, please refer to the questionnaire.
Date of Release 2016/02/16
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Economic conditions and indicators
Income, property and investment/saving
Employment
Labour relations/conflict
Working conditions
Political behaviour and attitudes
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Society/Culture
Version 1 : 2016-02-16
Notes for Users *Since the 21st survey, the mode of data collection has changed from mail to online, and answer choices, etc. were revised. For this reason, it is not possible to make a seamless connection with the results prior to the 20th edition (October 2010).