June 17, 2021
Keio University
Professor Toshihiro Okubo of the Faculty of Economics, Keio University, has been periodically conducting a large-scale survey on telework and the work, lives, and attitudes of workers in Japan amid the spread of COVID-19 since April 2020, when the pandemic began to spread. This is the fourth "Survey on the State of Telework among Workers," a large-scale nationwide survey of 10,000 workers conducted as a joint research project with the Nippon Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA).
According to the survey results, the telework utilization rate nationwide was 16% (27% in the Tokyo metropolitan area) as of the first week of April 2021, and it was found that the rate has remained at almost the same level since June 2020. The telework utilization rate varies greatly by industry, income level, and other factors, and it was also confirmed that the disparity in the telework utilization rate as of April 2021 has widened compared to January 2020, before the spread of COVID-19.
Additionally, when work efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic was rated on a scale where 100 represents no change from regular office work, the average for those unable to use their homes as a telework location was 65, significantly lower than the average of around 90 for those who could use a room in their home, suggesting potential issues with the work environment at telework locations outside the home. Furthermore, the group that responded that their employer emphasizes work-life balance was more likely to report that they were instructed, requested, or freely able to choose to telework in the early stages of the pandemic, suggesting that companies that prioritize CSR were also proactive and agile in their response to telework.
Please see below for the survey results.