Study of Total Fertility Rate of Women in Employment, by Industrial Sector: Estimation of Japanese National and Prefectural Data Using the Own-Children Method

Chapter 2 estimates the total fertility rate (TFR) of employed women by industry sectors in Japan and its 47 prefectures for the 16 years 2000 - 2015 using the Own-Children Method. Among non-employed women, it is found that the TFR was maintained at a steady level. Another finding is that the tendency to marry later continued to progress during this period. By industrial sectors, the following results appear from the estimates. Industrial sectors with relatively high TFRs are agriculture, forestry and fisheries, government, construction, electricity, gas, heating and water, and medical, health care and welfare. Sectors with lower TFRs are wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and hospitality services, and transport and deliveries. The problems faced in attempts to reverse declining birthrates may become clearer after examining wage levels, work regulations, and working environments in industrial sectors with higher and lower TFRs. One effective way of countering the shortfall in the number of births may be to work toward policies that make it easier for women to have more children specifically in those sectors where female employees are numerous and TFRs are low. One of the measures against the declining birthrate may be to work by making policy to increase the number of births in the industrial sector with a large female working population and low TFR. With this in mind, TFRs across industrial sectors are of key importance for considering improvements in women’s working environments and choices, as well as from a demographic perspective.