University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 1085
Survey Title The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers, 2016.4
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 a fixed-point survey on workers’ perceptions of business confidence, cost of living, and work itself, the 31st edition of this survey featured new items related to the “household’s recent economic situation” as an auxiliary-fixed-point observation survey (April’s fixed-point survey). As specific topics, questions concerning the “perception of medium-term prospects for the economic situation,” “perception and reality of personal life and working hours,” “balance between nursing care and work,” “perception of retirement savings and economic situation,” and the “effect of connection with people and society on workers” were asked.


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 11th 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 In 20s to 50s: 1,845 people, in early 60s: 155 people
Date of Collection 2016-04-01 ~ 2016-04-06
2016/04/01 (Fri) – 04/06 (Wed)
Time Period 2016 ~ 2016
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 24) Employment Status 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: Web-based (CAWI)
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.1085
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, etc.
 


(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, consumption behavior/saving behavior (April fixed-point survey)
Annual income and expenditure of household over the past year, prospect of overall income and expenditure one year later compared with present, expenses that are being reduced (dining out, clothing, etc.)

(6) Perception of medium-term prospects for the economic situation
Prospects for business and employment situation three years later, prospects for fluctuation of wages and cost of living in three years, prospects for increase or decrease in wages in five years, prospects for wages five years later (comparison with current employees who are five years senior)

(7) Perception and reality of time use and working hours
Whether respondent wants to prioritize work or private life, evaluation of current life, the ideal and actual number of working days per week, ideal and actual daily time allocation, desire to increase or reduce working hours, efficient measures to reduce working hours

(8) Balance between nursing care and work
Presence of a family member in need of nursing care, main caregiver, problems and difficulties faced by the main caregiver, anxiety related to nursing care, details of the anxiety, possibility of balancing nursing care and work, assistance that makes the balance possible, whether the presence of coworkers taking care of family members led to a higher workload or longer working hours, initiatives taken by the employer for balancing nursing care and work


(9) Perception of retirement savings and economic situation
Existence of retirement savings, a comfortable amount of retirement savings (upon turning 65), capacity to save for retirement, reason for not being able to save for retirement, distribution of living expenses after retirement, concerns and anxiety about the economic situation after retirement


(10) Connection with society and its influence on workers
Whether or not there is someone respondent can can rely on when facing problems, group or organization membership status

[Face items]
Gender, age, area of residence, employment status, period of employment contract, 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 2017/01/11
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 : 2017-01-11
Notes for Users *In its 21st edition, the mode of conducting this survey 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).