Working Hours in Japan: Who is Time-Privileged?

23 Pages Posted: 25 Jul 2006

See all articles by Scott M. Fuess

Scott M. Fuess

University of Nebraska at Lincoln - Department of Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Date Written: July 2006

Abstract

In the U.S. the relationship between hours worked and employee earnings has been reversed. Whereas the highest earners used to work the shortest hours, now they work the longest hours. This study examines whether such a reversal has occurred elsewhere, namely, Japan. Since the early 1990s the Japanese government has sought to transform the country into a lifestyle superpower by trying to encourage more daily time for leisure and less time on the job. Analyzing data for 1976-2003, it is clear that scheduled and actual working hours did indeed fall after 1990. During the early years of the sample, 1976-89, the highest earners also worked the shortest hours, that is, high income workers were time-privileged. As working hours fell in the 1990s, the time privileges of the highest earners changed too. Specifically, the highest earners gained time advantages relative to the lowest earners but lost some advantages relative to the median.

Keywords: time allocation and labor supply, wage level and structure, country studies

JEL Classification: J22, J31, J40

Suggested Citation

Fuess, Scott M., Working Hours in Japan: Who is Time-Privileged? (July 2006). IZA Discussion Paper No. 2195, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=919984 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.919984

Scott M. Fuess (Contact Author)

University of Nebraska at Lincoln - Department of Economics ( email )

Lincoln, NE 68588-0489
United States
+1 402-472-6281 (Phone)
+1 402-472-9700 (Fax)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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