Number of Childcare Leave Takers in Japan Increases for Women, Remains Unchanged for Men

In fiscal 2005, the percentage of Japanese female workers taking childcare leave was 72.3 percent, up 1.7 point from fiscal 2004, while that of males marginally fell to 0.50 percent from the low level of 0.56 percent in 2004, according to the results of the Basic Survey of Employment Management of Women for fiscal 2005 announced by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on August 9, 2006. About 10,000 business units having five or more employees were surveyed on October 10, 2005, and 75.3 percent responded.

In businesses with 30 or more employees, the percentage of women who took childcare leave was 80.2 percent (78.0 percent in FY 2004), while that of men was 0.41 percent (0.43 percent). Among childcare leave takers, women accounted for 98.0 percent and men 2.0 percent. The results also revealed that the percentage of women taking childcare leave was higher in larger businesses. Meanwhile, the most common duration of leave was 10 to 12 months, which accounted for 35 percent (41.4 percent in FY 2002), while leave of 12 to 18 months accounted for 13.5 percent, up 8.1 point from 5.4 percent in FY 2002.

The Ministry's support plan for children, youths and childrearing released in late 2004 sets a goal to raise the paternity leave rate to 10 percent over the next decade. However, given the poor progress so far, further measures and/or incentives will be needed to achieve this goal.

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Posted: 2006/11/03 11:13:27 AM
Japanese version