With the government stepping up effort to increase men’s usage of childcare leave over the past years, the number of male workers taking childcare leave has been on the rise. This article looks at the FY2023 Basic Survey of Gender Equality in Employment Management (hereinafter, “the Survey,”) just released by the Labour Ministry, with a focus on men’s usage of childcare leave and the length of leave the status of data disclosure, prior to the government measure to require more companies to disclose the status of their male employees’ childcare leave.
[1] Male workers’ usage of childcare leave and the length of leave
Male workers’ childcare leave usage rate remained low for many years, before starting to increase rapidly in recent years, thanks to social changes and government efforts. The ratio reached 30.1% in 2023, growing 13.0 points from 17.13% in the previous year, and hit the highest level since the Survey was started.
In many cases, men’s childcare leave lasted no more than several days, but the length of leave has also increased in fiscal 2023 (cases of men who ended childcare leave and returned to work between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023). The ratio of male workers who took leave for one month to less than three months was the largest. The table below shows comparison with fiscal 2018 and 2021. Workers who take more than two weeks are increasing.
Chart: Ratios of childcare leave period
|
|
Less than 5 days |
5 days - Less than 2 weeks |
2 weeks – less than 1 month |
1 month – less than 3 months |
3 months – less than 6 months |
6 months – less than 8 months |
8 months – less than 10 months |
10 months – less than 12 months |
12 months – less than 18 months |
18 months – less than 24 months |
24 months – less than 36 months |
36 months or more |
|
2018 |
36.3 |
35.1 |
9.6 |
11.9 |
3.0 |
0.9 |
0.4 |
0.9 |
1.7 |
- |
0.1 |
- |
|
2021 |
25 |
26.5 |
13.2 |
24.5 |
5.1 |
1.9 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
0.9 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
- |
|
2023 |
15.7 |
22.0 |
20.4 |
28.0 |
7.5 |
2.9 |
0.8 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
- |
[2] Disclosure of data about men’s usage of childcare leave
Recent increase in the use of childcare leave by men is partly because the system of childcare leave upon birth was newly implemented in October 2022. Another reason is the government requirement of companies with 1,000 or more employees to disclose the percentage of male workers who took childcare leave in line with the Childcare and Caregiver Leave Act. The scope of companies required to disclose such data will be expanded in April 2025 to those with 300 employees or more.
This change is expected to encourage male workers’ childcare leave usage further. By creating social environment supporting men to take childcare leave without any hesitation, male workers will likely to apply for childcare leave even at smaller companies that are not required to disclose the data. To become able to handle requests from workers smoothly, companies should improve their internal structures in advance.
[Reference]
The Labour Ministry
“FY2023 Basic Survey of Gender Equality in Employment Management”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/71-r05.html
“About the Act on Childcare Leave and Caregiver Leave”
mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000130583.html
