University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0332
Survey Title The Questionnaire Survey on Work and Life of Workers, 2003.4
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' 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 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, their current state of work and living, future perspectives, and so on.

At the Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, we periodically conduct questionnaire surveys to clarify trends in the Japanese economy and the current state of employment and living from the viewpoint and attitude of workers to obtain information to understand the current economic situation. Simultaneously, we explore the mid-to-long term improvements in living standards through fixed-point observation of quality of life. The first survey was conducted in April 2001, the second survey in October 2001, the third survey in April 2002, the fourth survey in October 2002, and this is the fifth survey. Previous surveys are archived in the SSJDA.

This time, as the special survey, questions were asked regarding “attitudes to labor unions” (Questions 29 to 40).
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe Private company employees in their 20s to 50s who live in the Greater Tokyo Area, Kansai region, or other government-designated cities (Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu).
Unit of Observation Individual
Sample Size Sample size: 2,000 people (the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region: 1,000 people), valid responses: 1,792 people (the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region: 911 people), valid response rate: 89.6% (the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region: 91.1%)

Please note that 99 responses (44 in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region) were from unemployed people. Excluding these responses, the number of valid responses were 1,693 (867 in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region). The rate of valid responses after excluding unemployed respondents was 84.7% (86.7% in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region).
Date of Collection 2003-04-03 ~ 2003-04-14
2003/04/03 (Thu) – 04/14 (Mon)
Time Period 2003 ~ 2003
Spatial Unit hokkaido
miyagi
kanto
kinki
aichi
kyoto
osaka
hyogo
hiroshima
fukuoka
The Greater Tokyo Area (Keihinyo (Tokyo-Yokohama-Chiba) Major Metropolitan Area of the “1997 (Heisei 9) Employment Status Survey”) and Kansai region (Keihanshin (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) Major Metropolitan Area of the same survey), as well as other government-designated cities

The survey this time expanded the survey area to other government-designated cities in addition to the Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region surveyed in the first through fourth survey.
Sampling Procedure Other
The sample allocation criteria were prepared taking into account the population size of private employees in the Greater Tokyo Area (Keihinyo (Tokyo-Yokohama-Chiba) Major Metropolitan Area), Kansai region (Keihanshin (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) Major Metropolitan Area), or other government-designated cities and in consideration of the distribution of employees by gender/age group of the “1997 (Heisei 9) Employment Status Survey.”

Based on these allocation criteria, the total of 2,000 people – 1,000 people who live in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region and 1,000 people who live in other government-designated cities – were extracted from the access panel of INTAGE Inc. (approximately 160,000 people nationwide).

Respondents of the last survey were excluded from this survey.
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.0332
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 place of employment
Current Japanese economy compared with one year ago, reasons for feeling the economic climate is improving, Japanese economic forecast one year later, work status, current business situation at place of employment

(2) Restructuring at the place of employment and unemployment concerns
Implementation of recession policies in the past year (staff reduction, downsizing of a business division, restrictions on overtime, temporary transfers, relocations, wage cuts), anti-recession policies implemented, anxiety about work and about deteriorating working conditions, changes in the situation that are currently occurring or could occur in the future at the place of employment, experiences at work and regarding working conditions, desire to change place to work and reasons, measures for self-protection against unemployment, anxiety about becoming unemployed in next one year, reemployment under the same conditions after unemployment, nearby experience of bankruptcy, unemployment, etc. and to whom it happened

(3) Income, consumption and living conditions (comparison with one year ago/forecast one year later)
Increase or decrease in personal wage income, increase or decrease in household income, reasons for increase or decrease in household consumption and reasons for the change, sense of fluctuation in prices, changes in household living conditions

(4) Level of life satisfaction
Satisfaction level with daily life (income, assets, living environment, leisure/spare time, work, inner happiness, life in general)

(5) Social Security System
Reasons for trusting/not trusting in the employees’ pension system, reasons for trusting/not trusting in the health insurance system, knowledge of employees’ pension system, thoughts about revising employees’ pension system (level of benefits, insurance premiums/tax burden, financial resources, etc.), thoughts on revisions to the health insurance system

(6) Image of/expectations for labor unions
Impact of labor union activities on society as a whole/companies/union members, image of labor unions, request for either wage or employment, workers’ rights stipulated by law, measures/activities to be undertaken, opportunities to discuss working conditions, degree of necessity of labor unions

Face items:
Gender, age, marital status, number of family members, household family members, highest level of educational attainment, household annual income, respondent’s annual income, primary breadwinner, existence of earners other than respondent himself or herself, employer’s industry type, size by number of employees, occupation type, years of continuous employment, experience of changing jobs, labor union (existence, membership status, participation situation, membership history, intention of becoming a member), existence/membership status of an employees’ organization, spouse’s employment status, spouse’s membership status in a labor union

In addition, access panel registration information was used for household composition, area of residence, type of residence, and number of years at residence.
Date of Release 2004/03/01
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 : 2004-03-01
2 : 2007-03-19
Notes for Users In this survey, in addition to the usual Greater Tokyo Area and Kansai region, other government-designated cities were also subject to survey. Using the access panel registration information, company employees, supervisors/managers, and part-timers/casual part-timers (arubaito) were extracted as survey respondents (the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region: 911 people, total: 1,792 people) working as private company employees. However, the working status at the time of the survey was 867 employees in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region (Total 1,693 nationwide), 13 self-employed workers/doing side jobs at home/helping a family business in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region (total 29 nationwide), and 31 unemployed people in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region (total 70 nationwide). Some report items collect observations based on the total number of respondents, while others collect observations about employed people.

Based on the time series comparison in the report, depending on the items, we summarized and analyzed the data selectively based on either the total number from the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region (total number of respondents), employed people in the Greater Tokyo Area/Kansai region, the total number nationwide, the total number by region, or employed people by region.

With regard to the special survey on “attitudes to labor unions” (questions 29-40), the report’s analysis draws mainly on the “total of employees” which counts employees only, rather than the “total responses.”
Regarding the special survey “attitudes to labor unions” (Questions 29 to 40), the report focuses on “total number of employed people,” which summarizes the data of the employed people as the object of analysis, and not the “total number of respondents” for all respondents.