Gender Differences in Job Changes: Focusing on Task Distance Before and After Changing Jobs

Abstract

This study focuses on the concept of ʻtask distance,ʼ a quantitative measure that assesses changes in job content before and after changing jobs. It examines gender differences in the correlation between previous occupational experience and task distance after job changes. It also clarifies the relationship between task distance and income changes after changing jobs. Utilizing data from two sources—the Survey on Job Change, Skill Development, and Career Formation of Middle-Aged Workers and the Occupational Information Network of Japan—the study revealed the following results. Firstly, the relationship between previous occupational experience and task distance differs by gender. Male technical professionals engaged in specialized technical tasks tend to change jobs with a smaller task distance compared to male routine clerical workers. However, this trend is not observed among women. Furthermore, female managerial, sales, and non-routine clerical workers engaged in non-routine interactive or analytical tasks tend to change jobs with a greater task distance compared to female routine clerical workers. Nevertheless, similar to men, female technical professionals without constraints due to family or health issues and in a position to sustain regular employment tend to change jobs with a smaller task distance. Secondly, job changes with smaller task distances tend to reduce the decline in income after job changes. The findings imply that when women face constraints due to family or health issues or are unable to secure regular employment, the advanced skills of women with more extensive job experience may not be optimally utilized after job changes. An effective development of the labor market is necessary for efficiently leveraging the advanced skills of women.