This study
1. Provides key features of nonstandard w
ork hours of mothers in Japan
2. Investigates factors influencing the deci
sion to work nonstandard hours by payi
ng attention to the difference between s
ingle and married mothers
3. Examines how mothers nonstandard w
ork hours affect the time and money spe
nt on children
5
Data
2 nd Wave of National Survey of Households with
Children (NSHC) conducted in November 2012 by J
apan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)
Randomly selected sample of 4,000 households (2,0
00 two-parent households and 2,000 lone-parent ho
useholds) with children below the age of 18 chosen fr
om the Residential Registry throughout Japan
1219 two-parent households (response rate = 61.0%)
and 982 lone-parent households (response rate = 49.
1%)
Sample for analysis: 527 single-mothers and 968 ma
rried mothers with jobs
6
Definition
A single mother refers to a woman who is raising
her children without a father.
Note that 30% of single mothers live with their relatives (typical
ly her parent(s)).
10
Results
H1 (Wage premiums)
Single mothers: hourly wage 23% (p<0.05) h
igher if work at night
Married mothers: Not significant
H2 (Hours constraint)
Single mothers with multiple jobs are 3.9 tim
es (p<0.01) more likely to work NS hours
Married mothers: Not significant
11
Results (cont.)
H3 (Liquidity constraint)
Single mothers: Not significant
Married mothers: 2 times (p<0.01) more likely to work NS hour
s if they have no savings. 3.19 (p<0.05) times more likely to
work at night if they are unable to buy necessary clothes.
H4 (Educational purpose)
Single mothers: 1.84 (p<0.05) times more likely to work in the
evenings if they wish to send their children higher education
Married mothers: Not significant
H5 (Grandmoms support)
Single mothers: 2.19 (p<0.01) times more likely to work in the
evenings if grandmom lives together or nearby.
Married mothers: Not significant
12
13
14
Notes: Figures in parentheses indicate standard deviations. Educational expenses refer to money spent
on cram schools and private enrichment lessons.
Source: Authors calculation using NSHC.
15
Married
mothers
Educational
expenses
Single mothers
Married
mothers
16
Summary
Prevalence of NS work hours
20.6% of single mothers and 14.1% of married mothers work in t
he evenings.
8.6% of single mothers and 6.7% of married mothers work at mi
dnight.
References
Champion, S. L., Rumbold, A. R., Steele, E. J., Giles, L. C., Davies, M. J., &
Moore, V. M. (2012). Parental work schedules and child overweight and
obesity.International Journal of Obesity, 36(4), 573-580.
DiNardo, J., Fortin, N. M., & Lemieux, T. (1996). Labor Market Institution
s and the Distribution of Wages, 1973-1992: A Semiparametric Approa
ch. Econometrica, 64(5), 1001-1044.
Dockery, A., Li, J., & Kendall, G. (2009). Parents' work patterns and adol
escent mental health. Social Science & Medicine, 68(4), 689-698.
Han, W. J. (2005). Maternal nonstandard work schedules and child cog
nitive outcomes. Child Development, 76(1), 137-154.
Han, W. J. (2008). Shift work and child behavioral outcomes. Work, Emp
loyment & Society, 22(1), 67-87.
Han, W. J., & Miller, D. P. (2009). Parental work schedules and adolesce
nt depression. Health Sociology Review, 18(1), 36-49.
Han, W. J., & Fox, L. E. (2011). Parental work schedules and children's c
ognitive trajectories. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(5), 962-980.
18
References (cont.)
Joshi, P., & Bogen, K. (2007). Nonstandard Schedules and Young Childrens Behavior
al Outcomes Among Working LowIncome Families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 6
9(1), 139-156.
Li, J., Johnson, S. E., Han, W. J., Andrews, S., Kendall, G., Strazdins, L., & Dockery, A. (2
014). Parents Nonstandard Work Schedules and Child Well-Being: A Critical Review
of the Literature. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 35(1), 53-73.
Miller, D. P., & Han, W. J. (2008). Maternal nonstandard work schedules and adolesce
nt overweight. American Journal of Public Health, 98(8), 1495.
Raymo, J. M., Park, H., Iwasawa, M., & Zhou, Y. (2014). Single Motherhood, Living Arra
ngements, and Time With Children in Japan. Journal of Marriage and Family, 76(4), 84
3-861.
Strazdins, L., Korda, R. J., Lim, L. L., Broom, D. H., & DSouza, R. M. (2004). Around-the
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Strazdins, L., Clements, M. S., Korda, R. J., Broom, D. H., & DSouza, R. M. (2006). Uns
ociable Work? Nonstandard Work Schedules, Family Relationships, and Childrens W
ellBeing. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(2), 394-410.
Tamiya, Y. Shikata, M. (2007) Work and Childrearing of Single Mother Households: A
n International Comparison (Boshi setai no shigoto to ikuji: Seikatsu jikan no kokusai
hikaku kara) Quarterly of Social Security (Kikan Shakai Hosho Kenkyu) 43(3), 219-23
1.
19
Variables
Nonstandard work hours
Early mornings
Evenings
Nights
Work status
Part-time/Contingent worker
Fulltime regular employee
Dispatched/Contract worker
Self-employed
Occupation
Professional/technical
Service-related
Education
Junior-high school
High school
Junior-college/Tech. college
University
Multiple job holder
Large frm employee
Metropolitan area
Kids
Two kids
Three or more
Age of the youngest child
Grandmom lives nearby
Rented house
No savings/Dissaving
Educational target =higher education
N
2
3
Descriptive statistics
20
0.073
0.139
0.067
0.472
0.330
0.067
0.126
0.243
0.199
0.034
0.369
0.403
0.174
0.031
0.120
0.239
0.484
0.277
8.755
( 5.145)
0.481
0.208
0.179
0.739
915
0.400
0.369
0.153
0.071
0.182
0.239
0.096
0.437
0.349
0.073
0.078
0.124
0.306
0.412
0.139
10.518
( 4.673)
0.508
0.433
0.357
0.529
490
Married
0.080
0.206
0.086
Single