Source:
CIA - The world factbook
; UN - United Nations
; World Bank
Note: (e) Estimated data
Working conditions
Legal weekly duration
8 hours per day and 40 hours per week
But employees frequently work 50 or 60 hours a week. Compared with the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Japanese employees work the most (in hours worked in industry).
It is also the country with the least annual vacation (weekly rest day and paid holidays included).
Retirement age
Age 65 with a minimum of 25 years of contributions. An early pension is payable between ages 60 and 64
Working contracts
In Japan, the contract determines if the employee is part of the regular or non-regular staff. Permanent employees form the regular staff. Among the non-regular staff, there are different types of contract: part-time workers, temporary workers, dispatched workers, fixed-term contract workers, entrusted employees (shokutaku).
Permanent contracts represent 65.4% of job total. 23% of jobs are non-regular jobs under part-time contracts.
Because of the economic recession which set in during the 1990’s, recourse to part-time jobs has developed considerably.
Cost of labor
Minimum wage
There are three types of minimum wage: - Local minimum wage - Local industry-specific minimum wage- national industry - Specific minimum wage. The prefectures set the amount of local minimum wages. Minimum wages (general and industry-specific) set by the prefectures are around JPY 668 per hour.
Average wage
Average annual gross earnings in Japon is JPY 2,899,413 (USD 30,000).
Social contributions
Social security contributions paid by employers: 10.89%
Social security contributions paid by employees: 11.27%
Social partners
Social dialogue and involvement of social partners
90% of unions are Company unions. Company unions (one per company) exist inside the Company to discuss working conditions.
Labor unions are organized cross-corporate organizations. The elements of claims made by the labor unions are then a basis for claims by the Company unions.
There are two types of labor unions: the Industrial Trade Unions and the National centers (mainly Rengo, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation).
Rengo and management organizations such as Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) have established a venue for regular discussions. For issues on which they share the same opinion, a joint policy proposal is duly submitted to the central government, especially at the Governmental Councils created for this. Every year between March and April, the unions launch an offensive on wages; it is known as Shunto, the spring wage offensive.
Labour market
Japan
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The active population in figures | Working conditions | Cost of labor | Social partners
The active population in figures
Source: CIA - The world factbook ; UN - United Nations ; World Bank
Note: (e) Estimated data
Working conditions
But employees frequently work 50 or 60 hours a week. Compared with the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Japanese employees work the most (in hours worked in industry).
It is also the country with the least annual vacation (weekly rest day and paid holidays included).
Permanent contracts represent 65.4% of job total. 23% of jobs are non-regular jobs under part-time contracts.
Because of the economic recession which set in during the 1990’s, recourse to part-time jobs has developed considerably.
Cost of labor
- Local minimum wage
- Local industry-specific minimum wage- national industry
- Specific minimum wage.
The prefectures set the amount of local minimum wages. Minimum wages (general and industry-specific) set by the prefectures are around JPY 668 per hour.
Social security contributions paid by employees: 11.27%
Social partners
Labor unions are organized cross-corporate organizations. The elements of claims made by the labor unions are then a basis for claims by the Company unions.
There are two types of labor unions: the Industrial Trade Unions and the National centers (mainly Rengo, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation).
Rengo and management organizations such as Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) have established a venue for regular discussions. For issues on which they share the same opinion, a joint policy proposal is duly submitted to the central government, especially at the Governmental Councils created for this. Every year between March and April, the unions launch an offensive on wages; it is known as Shunto, the spring wage offensive.
Rengo
The rate is constantly dropping with a reduction registered especially in the private sector, in SMEs and micro-enterprises.
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
The representation of the International Labor Organization in Japan
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Last updates: May 2012