Nearly 80% of Japanese Firms Have No Female General Managers

Nearly 80 percent of Japanese companies have no female general managers or equivalent, while almost 70 percent say they positively or somewhat consider utilizing women's human resources or promoting female employees to a managerial position, according to a survey conducted in March 2005 by the Japan Institute of Workers' Evolution, a corporation designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The survey covered about 3,400 companies across the nation including those listed on stock exchanges, of which 409 firms (12 percent) responded. Companies were allowed to select multiple answers. Among the firms which responded positively on the importance of the utilization or promotion of women, 69 percent said the reason for their positive response is that they see no differences in working abilities between male and female employees, and 65.5 percent answered that they want female workers to make full use of their abilities.

With respect to the current status of women in management positions, which would be one of the indicators of the utilization and promotion of female employees, 79 percent of the respondents said they have no female general managers, 45.5 percent have no female managers, and 19.1 percent have no female assistant managers or chiefs.

Asked about what obstacles exist to utilizing or promoting female workers, 42.8 percent mentioned that many women leave their jobs due to childbearing and childrearing, 34.7 percent said the proportion of women in their overall workforce is low since companies hire a small number of women, and 29.3 percent said companies are not willing to train female employees.

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Posted: 2005/11/11 11:18:12 AM
Japanese version