(LĐXH) - Unlike previous generations, young Japanese people want to work less, earn higher salaries and end the phenomenon of karoshi or "working to death".
For decades, Japanese work culture has been associated with grueling hours and self-sacrifice.
But a quiet revolution seems to be underway: Japan's younger workers are working fewer hours than at any time since the turn of the century, raising hopes that deaths from overwork are on the decline.
According to research by Takashi Sakamoto, an analyst at Recruit Works Research Institute, in recent years, the number of annual working hours in Japan has decreased by 11.6%, from 1,839 hours in 2000 to 1,626 hours in 2022, putting the country on par with many European countries.
The decline is most pronounced among men in their 20s, who worked an average of 46.4 hours a week in 2000 but only 38.1 hours a week in 2023, according to Sakamoto's "Japan's Real Economy" report released in November 2024.
“Young people are deciding that they don’t want to sacrifice themselves for a company. I think that’s quite wise,” said Makoto Watanabe, a professor of communications and media at Hokkaido Bunkyo University.
This change is driven by a generational shift. Unlike their parents, who accepted long hours in exchange for economic growth and job stability, young Japanese are prioritizing work-life balance and refusing to accept harsh working conditions.
“Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the economy grew rapidly and the more people worked, the more money they made. Earning a lot of money made it worth it. But that’s not the case anymore,” Watanabe said.
Japan’s labor shortage also gives young people a rare advantage: bargaining power. Companies are so desperate for talent that they are starting to approach college students before they graduate, hoping to recruit them while they’re still in school.
For employees who feel overworked or undervalued, finding a new job is easier than ever. This change is also reflected in salaries.
Despite working fewer hours, wages for people in their 20s have risen 25 percent since 2000, Sakamoto reports. Meanwhile, fewer companies are requiring employees to work unpaid overtime, a long-standing problem in Japanese offices.
Stability, not ambition, is the goal of young workers, say sociologists like Izumi Tsuji of Chuo University in Tokyo, a member of the Japan Youth Research Group.
“Young people find it difficult to dream about the future, so they want stability in their daily lives. They just want to earn enough money to cover their living expenses, to be comfortable… They accept to put aside their big ambitions,” he said.
This new trend among young Japanese is not welcomed by many older workers who have built their careers on working long hours.
Tsuji noted that managers in their 50s and 60s said they often acted cautiously to avoid complaints about overwork from younger colleagues.
But there is also a positive side to this cultural shift. Japan’s karoshi crisis remains a concern, with nearly 3,000 people expected to commit suicide due to overwork in 2022, up from nearly 2,000 the year before, according to a Japanese government report.
Official figures for 2023 showed 54 deaths from health problems caused by overwork such as strokes and heart attacks, although experts believe the real death toll is much higher.
“Karoshi has been a serious problem for a long time, and it would be good if the number would decrease soon. If young people feel happy working less hours and have a better work-life balance, it could happen,” said Mr. Tsuji.
Dieu Linh (according to SCMP)
Labor and Social Affairs Newspaper No. 7
Source: https://dansinh.dantri.com.vn/nhan-luc/nguoi-tre-nhat-ban-quay-lung-voi-van-hoa-lam-viec-qua-suc-20250116110853147.htm
Comment (0)