Gap in Paternity Leave Usage Widens Between Korea and Japan... Japan Surpasses 40% for the First Time

Paternity Leave Usage Rate Among Japanese Men Surpasses 40% for the First Time
Survey Conducted by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare at 3,383 Workplaces with Five or More Employees
Increase of 10.4 Percentage Points Compared to Previous Year

The rate of paternity leave usage among male employees at private companies in Japan surpassed 40% for the first time ever last year.

On July 31, both the Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun reported that, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare at 3,383 workplaces with five or more employees, the paternity leave usage rate among men was 40.5% last year. This figure represents an increase of 10.4 percentage points compared to the previous year and marks a continuous rise for twelve consecutive years.

The usage rate of paternity leave among Japanese private companies has surpassed 40%. Photo to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay.

The rate of maternity leave usage among women was 86.6%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points.

The Japanese government has set a goal to raise the paternity leave usage rate among men to 50% by 2025. Since 2022, the government has strengthened the system by making it mandatory for companies to confirm employees' intentions regarding leave and to notify them about the system.

The proportion of paternity leave among male employees in South Korea is also steadily increasing. According to a report released in June by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the proportion of paternity leave among men in South Korea was 24.2% in 2023, based on an analysis of recipients of parental leave benefits and the size of companies where they are employed. However, the benefits were found to be concentrated in large corporations.

As of 2023, the total number of net recipients of parental leave benefits was 295,697, with 126,069 first-time recipients. Among all net recipients of parental leave benefits, 224,126 were women (75.8%) and 71,571 were men. The proportion of male recipients increased from 13.4% in 2018 to 24.2% in 2023. Notably, among male net recipients, 56.7% were employed at large corporations, which is more than 10 percentage points higher than the 43.3% employed at small and medium-sized enterprises.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.