Abstract
Since the implementation of decentralization in Japan, temporary and part-time staff have increasingly been employed to address the resulting increase in administrative demands and decrease in regular staff employment across municipalities. In forestry administration, there is both a qualitative and quantitative shortage of regular staff, while the role of municipalities has been expanding. This study examined the employment trends and characteristics of temporary staff in forestry administration in Japan through a questionnaire survey targeting 1,741 municipalities nationwide. There was an increase in the number of municipalities employing temporary staff, particularly during fiscal years 2017-2022. New administrative demands such as the establishment of forest land registers and the forest environment transfer tax as a funding source have contributed to this increase. Although temporary staff in Japan are typically women aged 40-50 years, the majority of temporary forestry administrators are men aged ≥ 60 years. This implies a demand for experienced individuals with forestry-related and municipal work experience in forestry administration.
