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One out of every four male workers in their 30s is forced to work over 3,000 hours a year

A study shows that in Japan one out of every four workers in their 30s is forced to work longer than 3,000 hours a year or 60 hours a week, the danger line to "karoshi" (death from overwork). Morioka Koji, professor of economics at Kansai University and an expert on the karoshi question, discussed what is going on in Japanese workplaces in Akahata of February 11.

The International Labor Organization has reported that Americans work the longest hours among industrialized countries, followed by Japanese. The statement is based on the understanding that Japan has almost achieved the goal of shortening yearly working hours to 1,800 hours.

However, there is a trick in the monthly labor survey (MLS) which the government office of, the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry uses in making international comparisons of working hours in government white papers. This monthly survey does not take into account unpaid overtime work, showing the actual working hours companies paid for based on payrolls.

The labor force survey (LFC) by the Public Management Ministry more accurately reflects the reality. Its statistics include all hours worked, including early reporting and overtime and excluding recesses, irrespective of payment of wages for these hours.

A comparison of the average working hours worked shows that the hours actually worked in the LFC survey is 350 hours more than the paid working hours in the MSL figures. Most of the 350 hours are apparently unpaid work hours.

The LFC for 2002 shows that on average a worker works 43 hours a week, which means that he works more than 2,200 hours a year. An international comparison on this basis will rank Japan by far at the top in hours worked.

Male workers in particular have to work many extra hours. A man works 47.6 hours a week on average, which is almost equivalent to 2,500 hours a year. Men in their 30s work more than 2,600 hours a year. One out of every four male workers in their 30s is made to work as much as 3,000 hours a year, or 60 hours a week, the danger line to karoshi.

Among women workers, the number of those who are forced work more than 2,500 hours a year has exceeded 2.6 million and has been increasing in the last few years. With women regular workers, there is a sign that they will be made to work longer hours.

After the bubble economy burst, working hours on the whole gradually decreased. However, this is due mainly to a sharp increase in women part time workers. The result was a small decline in the average hours worked. The hours worked by regular workers have not changed. On the contrary, apprehension has mounted because the number of women workers who work more than the karoshi danger line at 3,000 hours a year is on the increase again in the last several years.

A newspaper carried a story titled, "Why are ski resorts deserted?" Its conclusion was that people in their 30s cannot afford time for skiing. Nowadays there are many karoshi deaths of young people in their 20s and 30s, which is statistically verifiable.

In the last several years, various work systems have been introduced, including discretionary work and flexible time systems, as well as work by telephone and mobile computers. These systems deprive the workers of the notion of actual working hours and make inroads into workers' private hours.

Certainly, "the greater flexibility of work" has made work schedules tighter and increased the fatigue of and stress on workers.

It is necessary to regulate working hours. With karoshi becoming a major social issue, the society cannot do without the appropriate deployment of personnel and the restricting and shortening of working hours to lessen strenuous work schedules. (end)