Recruitment website DODA, operated by major recruitment agency Personal Career Co. Ltd, has released the results of its average overtime hours survey covering 15,000 Japan-based employees aged 20 to 59.
The survey shows that the position with the least overtime is that of an accounting and finance assistant with on average 11.1 extra hours per month, that’s 33.5 minutes extra per day when working 20 days a month. Next comes a secretary and receptionist’s job with 11.6 hours per month, followed by a medical clerk’s job with 12.1 hours. In summary, the top 10 occupational categories with the shortest overtime hours are mostly administrative assistant positions and occupations in the medical field.
On the other hand, the job with the longest overtime hours is that of a game developer who works 45.3 hours extra per month on average. This means that they work 2 hours and 16 minutes extra per day when working 20 days per month. The job that carries the second longest overtime hours is that of a web/advertising/media sales-person with 42.4 hours, followed by a construction manager with 41.5 hours. Generally, jobs that require trained expertise such as web developers, engineers, consultants and so on tend to have longer working hours.
This survey shows that, while a culture of long working hours is common in Japan, the extent of overtime depends largely on the occupation. Whether you want to work efficiently and go home early, or immerse yourself in work day and night, it is important to choose a job that matches your personality.
jopus Editorial Dep.
