Women's Employment and Earnings Mobility among Married Couples in Japan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01654
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07050:Public economics and labor economics-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Morita Yoko 名古屋市立大学, 大学院経済学研究科, 教授 (00326159)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 女性労働 / 育児休業 / ワーク・ライフ・バランス / 所得格差 / 社会規範

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study analyzes the impact of wives' labor supply on household income, the influence of social norms on wives' labor force participation, and the effect of work-life balance policies on household income disparities.
The analysis results show that: (1) the lower the husband's income, the more likely the wife is to be employed, take childcare leave, and remain in the labor market, indicating that work-life balance policies play a vital role in improving household income for families with lower-earning husbands; (2) if, in the future, social norms improve and the employment rate of wives, particularly those with high earning potential, increases among households with higher-earning husbands, work-life balance policies could potentially widen the income disparity between households.

Free Research Field

労働経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

既婚女性の就業は夫婦所得の格差に影響を与えると考えられるが、これについては一定の結論がでていなかった。一方、少子高齢化を背景に政府はワーク・ライフ・バランス施策の充実を図ることで既婚女性の就業を進めてきた。妻の就業が所得格差を拡大する可能性がある場合、ワーク・ライフ・バランス施策は世帯所得の格差を拡大させる可能性がある。加えて、既婚女性の就業に対して性別役割分業意識といった社会規範が影響を与えているといわれており、これも夫婦の所得格差に影響を与えると予想される。本研究では妻の就業及び社会規範と夫婦所得の関係を明らかにし、今後のワーク・ライフ・バランス施策のあり方を検討した。