Abstract
Using data from a Japanese time use survey, we show a noteworthy increase in the share of employees working at unusual hours (late night and early morning) over a period of a decade since the mid-1990s. When controlling for changes in hours worked, however, we find that the notable increase in the fraction of people at work at unusual hours was for low-income nonregular employees (part-time, temporary and contract workers) while relatively higher income regular employees' work timing remains stable. These observations imply that there is a trend of diversification of work timing in Japan between regular and nonregular employees. A possible explanation is that the increase in the average hours worked per weekday by regular employees, possibly because of the spread of the 5-day workweek since the 1990s, increased services and goods demand at unusual hours as they returned home. An Oaxaca-Blinder type decomposition suggests that such an increase in the average hours worked by regular employees explains partially the rise in the employment rate of nonregular employees at unusual times.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1035-1038 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Applied Economics Letters |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 Jul |
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Keywords
- Hours worked
- Nonregular employees
- Regular employees
- Work timing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics and Econometrics
Cite this
The era of the 24-hour society? Assessing changes in work timing using a Japanese time use survey. / Kuroda, Sachiko; Yamamoto, Isamu.
In: Applied Economics Letters, Vol. 19, No. 11, 07.2012, p. 1035-1038.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The era of the 24-hour society?
T2 - Assessing changes in work timing using a Japanese time use survey
AU - Kuroda, Sachiko
AU - Yamamoto, Isamu
PY - 2012/7
Y1 - 2012/7
N2 - Using data from a Japanese time use survey, we show a noteworthy increase in the share of employees working at unusual hours (late night and early morning) over a period of a decade since the mid-1990s. When controlling for changes in hours worked, however, we find that the notable increase in the fraction of people at work at unusual hours was for low-income nonregular employees (part-time, temporary and contract workers) while relatively higher income regular employees' work timing remains stable. These observations imply that there is a trend of diversification of work timing in Japan between regular and nonregular employees. A possible explanation is that the increase in the average hours worked per weekday by regular employees, possibly because of the spread of the 5-day workweek since the 1990s, increased services and goods demand at unusual hours as they returned home. An Oaxaca-Blinder type decomposition suggests that such an increase in the average hours worked by regular employees explains partially the rise in the employment rate of nonregular employees at unusual times.
AB - Using data from a Japanese time use survey, we show a noteworthy increase in the share of employees working at unusual hours (late night and early morning) over a period of a decade since the mid-1990s. When controlling for changes in hours worked, however, we find that the notable increase in the fraction of people at work at unusual hours was for low-income nonregular employees (part-time, temporary and contract workers) while relatively higher income regular employees' work timing remains stable. These observations imply that there is a trend of diversification of work timing in Japan between regular and nonregular employees. A possible explanation is that the increase in the average hours worked per weekday by regular employees, possibly because of the spread of the 5-day workweek since the 1990s, increased services and goods demand at unusual hours as they returned home. An Oaxaca-Blinder type decomposition suggests that such an increase in the average hours worked by regular employees explains partially the rise in the employment rate of nonregular employees at unusual times.
KW - Hours worked
KW - Nonregular employees
KW - Regular employees
KW - Work timing
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U2 - 10.1080/13504851.2011.613740
DO - 10.1080/13504851.2011.613740
M3 - Article
VL - 19
SP - 1035
EP - 1038
JO - Applied Economics Letters
JF - Applied Economics Letters
SN - 1350-4851
IS - 11
ER -