"Quitting Full-Time Jobs at Large Corporations to Work Part-Time"... Surge in Voluntary Non-Regular Workers Among 2030s in Japan

In Japan, the number of young people in their 20s and 30s who deliberately choose non-regular employment in order to work at convenient times has significantly increased. Despite government efforts to encourage conversion to regular employment, the results have differed from expectations. Experts analyze that this is because the younger generation has begun to change their values regarding work.

On the 4th, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) cited the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "2023 Labor Force Survey," reporting that among non-regular workers aged 25 to 34 in Japan, those who answered "I chose non-regular employment because I want to work at convenient times" increased by 140,000 compared to 10 years ago, reaching 730,000 (31.9%).

The total number of non-regular workers aged 25 to 34 was 2.37 million, of which more than half, 1.4 million, responded that they work part-time or as arubaito (part-time jobs). Those who answered "I became non-regular because there were no regular jobs" decreased by 540,000 compared to 10 years ago, down to 300,000.

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This phenomenon was similarly observed when the survey target was expanded to all age groups. Not only among the 20s and 30s but across all age groups, the number of people who answered "I became non-regular because there were no regular jobs" was 1.96 million in 2023, a decrease of 1.45 million compared to 2010.

The media's attention to this is due to Japan's unique employment environment. Since 2014, Japan's unemployment rate has remained below 4%. Coupled with low birth rates and an aging population causing labor shortages, the effective job openings-to-applicants ratio has exceeded 2. Nikkei emphasized, "Japan has approached full employment, and this improvement in the employment environment inevitably reduced the number of people who become non-regular workers."

Moreover, the government has encouraged the conversion of non-regular workers to regular employment to address issues such as the freeter population. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare implemented policies providing financial support to employers promoting regular employment conversion, resulting in over 780,000 conversions from 2013 to 2022. Despite the continuous improvement of the environment enabling regular employment, the number of 20s and 30s voluntarily choosing non-regular employment is increasing.

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Nikkei introduced a case of a woman in her 20s who changed jobs from a regular position at a major IT company to a non-regular position in the music industry. She explained her reason for changing jobs as, "Even if my salary decreases somewhat and the job is unstable, I want to do what I want to do." Another woman in her 20s working part-time said, "I chose non-regular employment to balance my activities as an entertainer with an agency. I can adjust my working hours to fit the irregular nature of entertainment activities."

Experts analyze that a shift in attitude prioritizing life over work has influenced this trend. Professor Shintaro Yamaguchi of the University of Tokyo stated, "The number of people who value their private life has increased. The values regarding work are changing."

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However, they argue that the increase in voluntary non-regular employment should not lead to neglecting improvements in treatment or reconsideration of social security systems. This is especially important because many women are forced to choose non-regular jobs due to childcare responsibilities. Nikkei pointed out, "The proportion of men working as non-regular employees is 20%, whereas for women it reaches 50%. In particular, due to marriage or childbirth, balancing work and family becomes impossible, and the proportion of regular employment sharply declines from the 30s."

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