THE SITUATION OF
WORKING WOMEN (2003) 

1. Situation regarding labour force population, workers, and employees  

(1) Labour force population

According to the results of the "Rodoryoku Chosa" ("Labour Force Survey"; hereinafter referred to as the "Survey") conducted by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, the 2003 population of women in the labour force was 27,320,000, a decrease of about 10,000 from 2002. Although an increase was recorded in 2001, the trend has otherwise been one of decline from the peak reached in 1998.

Among women, the 2003 labour force participation ratio (the share of the labour force population occupied by persons aged 15 or over) represented a fall of 0.2% from 2002 to 48.3%, and therefore continued in the trend of decline from the peak of 50.4% reached in 1997. The corresponding ratio for men also registered a decrease of 0.6% to 74.1% (Table 1-1).

The trend of this ratio by age group exhibits substantial increases from 2002 among women aged 25 - 29 and those aged 35 - 39 (up 1.6 and 1.3%, respectively). The ratio in the 30 - 34 age group, which forms the bottom of the M-shaped curve, was 60.3%, the same as in 2002 (Figure 1-1).

To examine the change in the trend of this ratio by age group from 2002 to 2003, a factor analysis was made of the change in the never-married ratio (i.e., the proportion of women who have never been married) and the labour force participation ratio. This analysis showed that, although the never-married ratio factor was larger in the 25 - 29 age group, where the labor force participation ratio is rising, than in other age groups, the factor of change in the labour force participation ratio itself is on about the same level, and the combined effect of the two is driving up the labour force participation ratio (Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-1. Labour force participation rate of women by age group

Figure 1-2. Factor analysis of the labour force participation ratio

(2) Workers and fully (completely) unemployed

The Survey also found that female workers numbered 25,970,000 in 2003. This represented the first increase in six years (since 1997) and a rise of some 30,000 (0.1%) from 2002. As for the trend by employment status, the number of female family workers and self-employed continued to decline, but the number of female employees rose by 160,000 from 2002. As a result, the share of the total number of workers occupied by employees continued to expand (Table 1-2).

In 2003, the number of fully (completely) unemployed came to 1,350,000, down some 50,000 from 2002, for women and 2,150,000, down about 40,000 from 2002, for men. For both genders, these were the first decreases in 13 years (since 1990). The full unemployment rate was 4.9%, down 0.2 % from 2002, for women, and this was also the first decrease in 13 years (the rate for men was the same as in 2002) (Figure 1-3).

Figure 1-3. Trends in full unemployment rates

(3) Employees

According to the Survey, the number of female employees began to rise again in 2003, hitting 21,770,000, an increase of 160,000 (0.7%) from 2002 (when a drop of 0.3% was recorded). Male employees numbered 31,580,000, down about 120,000 (0.4%) from 2002. As a result, the share of the total number of employees occupied by women expanded by 0.3 points to 40.8% (Figure 1-4).

Because the 2003 edition of the Survey applied a new industrial classification, a simple comparison cannot be made with 2002. As for the trend of the number of female employees by industry, the wholesale/retail industry accounted for the largest part at 4,870,000, followed by the medical/welfare industry at 3,730,000, manufacturing industry at 3,510,000, and service (and "other") industry at 2,990,000. Taken together, these four industries consequently accounted for 69.4% of the total number of female employees.

By occupation, the breakdown was led by clerical work at 7,050,000, followed by professional or technical work at 3,780,000, security or other service work at 3,320,000, manufacturing, production, machinery operation, or construction work at 2,960,000, and sales work at 2,690,000. As compared to 2002, there was a significant increase in the categories of professional/technical work and security/service work, and decrease in that of sales work.

Regarding type of employment, there were 16,800,000 full-time employees, 4,140,000 part-time employees, and 660,000 day labourers. The number of full-time employees represented an upturn (of 110,000 or 0.7%) after the decline recorded in 2002, and the number of part-time employees, an increase of 20,000 (0.5%).

As for the trend by marital status, there were 12,270,000 married female employees (accounting for 56.8% of the total number of female employees in industries other than agriculture and forestry), 7,060,000 unmarried female employees (with a corresponding share of 32.7%), and 2,200,000 female employees who were either widowed or divorced (with a corresponding share of 10.2%). The share occupied by married employees, which increased in 2002, decreased again.

The average length of continuous service among female employees was 9.0 years (as compared to 13.5 years for male employees), for an increase of 0.2 years from 2002.

Figure 1-4. Trends in number of employees (all industries)

2. Labour market situation

(1) Recruitment, job-seeking, entry, and leaving

A look at the trend of the standard labour market (excluding new high school graduates and part-time workers) based on the "Shokugyo Antei Gyomu Tokei" ("Employment Stability Operations Statistics") of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reveals that the number of jobs available (total for both men and women) in 2003 averaged 447,653 per month, up 13.1% from 2002. The number of new job-seekers (total for both men and women) was 519,080, down 3.2% from 2002.
According to the "Koyo Doko Chosa" ("Survey of Employment Trends") conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, there were 3,061,500 women who entered employment (both standard and part-time workers) and 3,417,400 women who left employment in 2003. These totals constituted respective decreases of 85,300 and 73,500 from 2002. The decline was the first in four years for those entering employment and the first in six years for those leaving employment.

(2) Employment situation for new graduates

The "Koko Shinsotsusha Shushoku Naitei Jokyoto Chosa" ("Survey of the Situation as Regards Job-Landing by New High School Graduates") conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare found that 94.0% of all female students who expected to graduate from high school in March 2003 and were seeking post-graduation employment had found jobs (as compared to 93.4% in 2002). The corresponding figure for male high school students was 96.1% (as compared to 96.0% in 2002). According to the "Daigakuto Sotsugyo Yoteisha Shushoku Naitei Jokyoto Chosa" ("Survey of the Situation as Regards Job-Landing by New University Graduates") conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the corresponding job-landing rate for students who graduated in March 2003 was 92.2% for women and 93.2 % for men (as of 1 April 2003), as compared to the respective rates of 91.5 and 92.5% in 2002.

The fiscal 2003 edition of the "Gakko Kihon Chosa" ("Basic Survey of Schools") conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology presents the share of new female graduates occupied by those who have landed employment in each category of education level. According to its data, the aforementioned share has been steadily rising among university graduates along with the rise in matriculation to universities among female students, and reached 44.0 %. This was followed by corresponding shares of 32.3% among high school graduates and 22.7% among junior college graduates.

3. Situation regarding working conditions, etc.

According to the "Chingin Kozo Kihon Tokei Chosa" ("Basic Statistical Survey of Wage Structures") conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, the standard net monthly salary paid to standard female workers (excluding part-time workers; their average age was 38.1, and their average length of continuous service, 9.0 years) in June 2003 was 239,400 yen, an increase of 0.3% from 2002. Of this total, the prescribed monthly salary accounted for 224,200 yen, an increase of 0.3%. Although increases were recorded for both of these salary figures, the rates of increase were lower than those in 2002 (at 0.7 and 0.5%, respectively).

Standard male workers (who had an average age of 41.2 and average continuous service length of 13.5 years) were paid a standard net monthly salary averaging 368,600 yen, an increase of 0.2% from 2002. Of this total, the prescribed monthly salary accounted for 335,500 yen, a decrease of 0.2%, and fell below the preceding year for the second consecutive year.

The gender-based wage gap (expressed as indicators when the male level is assigned the value 100.0) shows a long-term trend of gradual contraction in terms of both the standard net monthly salary and the prescribed monthly salary. In 2003, the indicators were 64.9 for the standard net monthly salary and 66.8 for the prescribed monthly salary (Table 1-3 and Figure 1-5).

In addition, the gender-based starting wage gap (also expressed as an indicator when the male level is assigned the value 100) came to 93.3 for new high school graduates (down 1.2 points from 2002), 96.3 for new professional school and junior college graduates (down 0.6 points), 94.1 for new university graduates in clerical positions (down 0.2 points), and 100.1 for new university graduates in technical positions (up 1.3 points). This reversal in the category of new university graduates in technical positions constituted the first time that starting wages for women were higher than those for men.

Figure 1-5. Trends in prescribed monthly salaries and the wage gap between men and women

4. Situation of part-time workers

According to the Survey, in 2003, part-time female employees (working less than 35 hours a week in industries other than agriculture and forestry) numbered 8,610,000, an increase of 260,000 from 2002. Their share of the total of 21,180,000 female employees (excluding those on leave) outside the agriculture and forestry industries consequently rose above 40 percent (at 40.7%) for the first time ever (Figure 1-6). However, the female share of the total number of part-time employees has been in a trend of moderate decline since peaking in 2000. In 2003, it stood at 68.4%, down 0.6 points from 2002.

The "Basic Statistical Survey of Wage Structures" indicates that hourly wages for part-time female workers averaged 893 yen, an increase of 2 yen from 2002.

The indicator for the wage gap between part-time workers and standard workers was 50.3. In the case of female workers taken separately, however, it contracted for the first time in five years. Specifically, when the prescribed monthly salary for standard workers in 2003 is converted into hourly terms and assigned the value 100.0, the indicator for part-time workers was 65.7 (Figure 1-7).

Figure 1-6. Trends in the number of part-time employees (those working less than 35 hours per week) and component ratios - Non-agricultural and forestry industries -

Figure 1-7. Changes in the wage gap between women part-time workers and women standard workers

 

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