Japan’s working-age population is expected to fall by 40% by 2050. How is this possible for a country with such a large population? One of the main reason is because female participation in the labor force is far lower than in other rich countries, at 63%. This isn't because they aren't qualified, Japan educates its women to a higher level than nearly anywhere else in the world. It is due to the fact that that conservatives were worried it would damage family values, Japanese culture, and it made economic sense since they were the country's "baby-making machines". However, the fertility rate in Japan plunged further and it is why now, Japan is expecting a sharp decrease in it working force in the future.
However, even if the idea women working changes, there will be obstacles for Japanese women to obtain quality jobs. "Corporate culture is by far the biggest obstacle for Japanese women. The practice of hiring graduates fresh out of university and employing them for their entire working lives makes it difficult for employees to take career breaks and seek new positions elsewhere afterwards." Culture once set in place is hard to change especially if people do not see a reason for change. How can the government in Japan help ease this transition to a larger women work force? Will women just never have equal representation with men in top level management position? And if changes aren't instituted now, how will this effect Japan's economy in the future besides a decrease in its work force?
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21599763-womens-lowly-status-japanese-workplace-has-barely-improved-decades-and-country
3 comments:
Even in the United States, women have a harder time in a job market, due to some discrimination and a pattern of a "wage gap". There has been some better representation of women in management positions and upper management here, but it's no where near equity levels. Japanese women, even if they do enter the job market may very well face even worse conditions and discrimination than the working American Woman. However, as time goes on, it may improve, as America's situation has improved from where women's place was only as a housewife or something similar. Time may be what helps the transition.
I think this is true for Asian countries, not just Japan. Having a family will put much more weight on the shoulders of women than on men. Just like what we learn in class, people in Japan do not change job as often as people in the United States. Recent graduates tend to work hard and long hours, but when people get married and become busier, they want to find jobs with more flexibility. However, it is not easy for them to find change job. Struggling to find work and life balance after having children, women have to leave the workforce and take care of the family because the culture puts certain responsibilities on women to their families. Firms also see that and they will have an incentive to hire men, which makes it even harder for women to enter and re-enter the work force.
It doesn't make sense to hold back half the nation. If a country really wanted to grow then they should use all of its resources which are women. In the past this has allowed for countries to grow and be able to produce more because more people were working. It is more efficient.
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