Japan Labor Issues
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2025

• The "Long-lasting and Persistent" Labor Shortage since the 2010s—MHLW's White Paper on the Labor Economy 2024 (PDF:709KB) 

• 2024 Shunto: The First Wage Increase Above 5% since 1991 with an Urgent Need to Spread the Trend to SMEs (PDF:400KB)
  ARAKAWA Sota
• First Revision in 12 Years of Industrial Accidents Recognition Criteria for Mental Disorders: Customer Harassment and Continuous Engagement in Work with High Risk of Infection are Newly Added (PDF:191KB)

2024

• Freelance Act Comes into Effect in November 2024 (PDF:707KB)

• Measures Required to Achieve Sustainable Wage Hikes: MHLW's White Paper on the Labour Economy 2023 (PDF:1.1MB)

• 2023 Shunto: Highest Wage Hike in 30 Years, Yet Its Sustainability a Challenge (PDF:1.3MB)
  OGINO Noboru

2023

• Promoting Labor Mobility with Support for Workers’ Proactive Career Development: MHLW’s White Paper on the Labor Economy 2022 (PDF:959KB)

• The 2022 Shunto Results and Challenges: Labor and Management Shared a Recognition of the Need for “Investment in People” (PDF:296KB)
  OGINO Noboru

2022

• The Kishida Administration’s Near-term Policy Line Focuses on “Investment in People”: Hammering out Measures to Promote Wage Increases and Require Gender Wage Gap Disclosure (PDF:183KB)

• A Record 12.65% of Fathers in Japan Took Childcare Leave in 2020
  MHLW's Basic Survey of Gender Equality in Employment Management (PDF:441KB)

• The Impact of COVID-19 on Employment and Labor
  MHLW's White Paper on the Labor Economy 2021 (PDF:1.38MB)

• Social Inequality in the Prevalence of Working from Home under the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan (PDF:540KB)
  TAKAMI Tomohiro

2021

• Four Plans Setting the Course for Future Policy: Supporting Human Resources Development and Work Styles for a New Era (PDF:254KB)
• The 2021 Shunto: Results and Identified Issues from a Broad Range of Discussions Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF:332KB)
  OGINO Noboru

• MHLW's Guidelines for Promoting and Establishing High-quality Telework (PDF:193KB)

• The MHLW Study Group Proposes the Direction of Employment Policy for Post-COVID-19 (PDF:171KB)
• The Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality "Toward a Reiwa Society Where All Women and Girls Can Thrive and Achieve Their Full Potential" (PDF:231KB)
• Accommodation and Food Services Workers amid the COVID-19 Crisis in Japan (PDF:695KB)
  • Advance Published on June 18, 2021 (PDF:741KB)
    TAKAHASHI Koji

• Job Separation and Reemployment amid the COVID-19 Crisis in Japan (PDF:1.47MB)
  TAKAHASHI Koji
• How Women Bear the Brunt of COVID-19's Damages on Work (Continued, Part II): Catch Up With Men on the Employment Recovery (PDF:1.23MB)
  • Errata (PDF:96KB)
    ZHOU Yanfei (JILPT Associate Researcher. Professor, Japan Women's University)

• Working Hours under the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Reviewing Changes by Situation Phase during and after the 2020 State of Emergency Declaration (PDF:473KB)
  • Advance Published on March 16, 2021 (PDF:585KB)
    TAKAMI Tomohiro

• How Women Bear the Brunt of COVID-19’s Damages on Work (Continued): The Gender Gap in Employment Recovery (PDF:514KB)
  ZHOU Yanfei

• How Women Bear the Brunt of COVID-19’s Damages on Work (PDF:476KB)
  • Advance Published on October 15, 2020 (PDF:422KB)
    ZHOU Yanfei
• Impact of the COVID-19 Recession on Full-Time Workers: Shortened Work Hours, Working from Home, and Possible Widening of Income Disparities (PDF:438KB)
  TAKAMI Tomohiro

2020

• The Employment Adjustment Subsidy and New Assistance for Temporary Leave (PDF:260KB)
  • Advance Published on October 12, 2020 (PDF:259KB)
    HAMAGUCHI Keiichiro
• Diminished Non-regular Employment, Solid Regular Employment: What Impacts Did the “First Wave” of the COVID-19 Pandemic Have in Japan? (PDF:307KB)
  • Advance Published on October 12, 2020 (PDF:312KB)
    TAKAHASHI Koji

• Decreased Working Hours and Impact on Wages: A Look Back at the Novel Coronavirus’s “First Wave” in Japan (PDF:499KB)
  TAKAHASHI Koji

• Student Part-timers as a Subject of Labor Policy (PDF:208KB)
  • Advance Published on July 13, 2020 (PDF:217KB)
    HAMAGUCHI Keiichiro
• Obligating Efforts Concerning Measures to Secure Employment Opportunities up to the Age of 70: Revision of the Act on Stabilization of Employment of Elderly Persons, etc. (PDF:316KB)

• Challenges Facing Japan: Work Styles and Labor Shortages
  MHLW's White Paper on the Labor Economy 2019 (PDF:366KB)

• Thirty Years since JTUC-Rengo's Foundation: Challenges and Prospects for Japan's Labor Movement (PDF:273KB)
  OGINO Noboru

2019

• MHLW’s Interim Report on Points of Controversy regarding Employment-like Work Styles (PDF:353KB)
• Policy Challenges for the Introduction of AI and Other New Technologies: Report of MHLW’s Committee on Basic Labour Policy (PDF:242KB)

• The 2019 Shunto in the Context of the JTUC-Rengo Wage Hike Summary Report (PDF:303KB)
  Noboru Ogino

• MHLW's Basic Policies Based on the Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Policies (PDF:248KB)

• Human Resources Development according to Diversified Working Styles: MHLW's White Paper on the Labor Economy 2018 (PDF:419KB)

• How Have Japanese Policies Changed in Accepting Foreign Workers? (PDF:335KB)
  Keiichiro Hamaguchi

2018

• The 2018 Shunto, 2% Pay Hike for five Consecutive Years; Regional Minimum Wages, 3% Rise for three Consecutive Years (PDF:377KB)

• Work Style Reform Bill Enacted: Discussions Underway at the Council on the Contents of Specific Procedures (PDF:345KB)

• Challenges for Promoting Innovations and Realizing Work-Life Balance: MHLW'S White Paper on the Labor Economy 2017 (PDF:357KB)
  

• Analysis of Japan’s Labor Economy 2017 (PDF:879KB)
  Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

• Employment Quota for Persons with Disabilities at Private Enterprises to be Incrementally Raised to 2.3% (PDF:4.08KB)

• Regional Minimum Wages Hiked by Average 3% for 2nd Straight Year: Hourly Rate Now 848 yen (PDF:375KB)
• Rengo Holds 15th Biennial Convention, Re-Elects President Kozu: Aims to Establish "Rengo Vision 2035" as It Nears 30th Anniversary (PDF:228KB)

2017

• Rengo Wavering in Party Support and Joint Struggle by Opposition Parties (PDF:64.3KB)
• Nearly 40% of Companies Aim to Spend More on Training: Corporate Focus on Training Comes Clear (PDF:569KB)

• Government Decides “Action Plan for the Realization of Work Style Reform” :  Relevant Laws To Be Amended Aimed at Overtime Limits and Equal Pay for Equal Work (PDF:640KB)
• The 2017 Shunto, Wage Rise in SMEs and Non- Regular Employment: Changes in Negotiations Led by Pacesetters (PDF:639KB)
• One in Every Three Workers Experienced “Power Harassment”: MHLW is Taking Steps to Prevent It (PDF:641KB)

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