Telework in Japan: An overview from micro data of a Large Statistical Survey

Using micro data from the Employment Status Survey of 2022, this study provides an overview of the state of telework in Japan and the relationship between individual characteristics and teleworking. According to the results, first, the telework implementation rate among workers is less than 20%, and more than 90% of teleworkers work from home. Second, teleworking frequency among teleworkers averages 35%, and the share of telework in the total macroeconomic labor input is approximately 7%. Third, highly educated workers, workers in the information and telecommunications industry, workers in large companies, and workers in the Tokyo metropolitan area have higher rates of teleworking implementation and intensity. Fourth, males have telework implementation rates approximately 10 percentage points higher than females; however, the gender difference narrows to less than one percentage point after controlling for other individual characteristics. Fifth, teleworkers earn 30–40% higher wages after controlling for observable characteristics.

This is the English version of the Japanese Discussion Paper (24-J-015) with some additional information and changes.