Changes in Working Hours, Work Styles, and Income during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Working hours in Japan considerably fluctuated during the COVID-19 pandemic. From April to May 2020, the working hours substantially decreased, especially among women with children, nonregular employees, certain industries, and regions, such as the Tokyo metropolitan area. The decline in overtime hours continued during the pandemic, and it was estimated that regular employees worked fewer hours. Regarding changes in monthly income, the trend was consistent with that of working hours in that there was a large decrease during April-May 2020. As for changes in the annual income, a certain percentage of middle-income earners saw a decrease in the annual income in 2020 compared with 2019. This decline in the annual income may have resulted from a decrease in the number of hours worked and reduction in bonus payments. The reduction in bonus payments during the pandemic may have led to a decline in the annual income for those who had received bonus payments before the pandemic, such as regular employees and middle-income earners. It is suggested that employment adjustments by firms through working hours and bonus payments can affect the income and livelihood of employed workers.