tokyo
A new initiative has been started in Japan’s capital Tokyo to improve the birth rate. From next year, the rule of 4-working days will be implemented in the office. For example, now people have to work only four days a week. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced that from April next year, employees will have the option to take three days off a week.
For example, in the last few years it has been seen that people are forced to leave their career midway due to the upbringing of their children. This is also considered a major reason behind people not having children. Due to the policies of the last few years, the fertility rate of the country has deteriorated significantly. To improve this, the local administration has been adopting many new methods.
So that no one has to give up their career
Governor Koike said, “During this period, we will bring flexibility in working methods and ensure that no one has to give up their career due to giving birth to a child or taking care of a child. This initiative is to encourage the birth of children among Japanese couples.
According to the Tokyo administration, this scheme will also be helpful for those parents whose children are in primary school, they will get the option to work less, which will also give a balanced reduction in their salary.
japan birth rate
Last year, only 727,277 births were recorded in Japan. It is said that this shortage is a result of the country’s overtime work culture, which forces women to choose between career and family. According to World Bank data, gender employment disparity in Japan is higher than in other wealthy nations, with participation of women at 55% and men at 72%.
The four-day workweek framework was piloted globally by 4 Day-Week Global in 2022. More than 90% of the employees involved expressed their desire to maintain this schedule. Other Asian nations, such as Singapore, have also placed emphasis on offering flexible working hours.
