The number of Japanese working women increased for the third consecutive year to 27.59 million in 2006, an increase of 0.3 percent from the previous year, according to the survey results of "the current state of working women" in fiscal 2006, released by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in April, 2007. The ratio of women in the labor force also increased for the second consecutive year to 48.5 percent, an increase of 0.1 point from the previous year.
Details of the survey show, however, that while the number of unmarried female workers increased, that of married female workers decreased by 110,000, even though the total number of female workers increased. These numbers reveal the difficulties experienced by women trying to balance work and family life. The number of unmarried working women increased by 5 percent over the past 10 years, but married working women decreased by 3 percent, or 460,000.
As for female entrepreneurs, 70 percent or more were unemployed before they launched their businesses. Compared to men, the ratio of women who launched their businesses when they were young is higher and both the amounts of capital and annual sales are lower in cases of female entrepreneurs. The ratio of women closing businesses is twice of that of men, and about 10 percent of them closed their businesses because they had to raise their children or care their aging parents. This survey shows that women face difficulties making their work and family life compatible when starting and running their own businesses.
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