Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job in Japan

Japan: Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job was 37.47 Hours per week per person in 2025. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2025)
37.47 Hours per week per person
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
21st
of 39 countries
All-time high
41.02 Hours per week per person
in 2010
All-time low
37.47 Hours per week per person
in 2025
Years of data
17
2009–2025

Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job in Japan, 2009–2025

0102030402009201720252009: 40.9 Hours per week per person2010: 41 Hours per week per person2011: 40.9 Hours per week per person2012: 40.9 Hours per week per person2013: 40.3 Hours per week per person2014: 40 Hours per week per person2015: 40 Hours per week per person2016: 39.8 Hours per week per person2017: 40.1 Hours per week per person2018: 39.3 Hours per week per person2019: 39 Hours per week per person2020: 38 Hours per week per person2021: 38.1 Hours per week per person2022: 38.2 Hours per week per person2023: 38.4 Hours per week per person2024: 37.8 Hours per week per person2025: 37.5 Hours per week per person

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per week per person.

Analysis

Japan recorded 37.47 Hours per week per person for average usual weekly hours worked on the main job in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average usual weekly hours worked on the main job in Japan peaked at 41.02 Hours per week per person in 2010 and was at its lowest, 37.47 Hours per week per person, in 2025.

That places Japan 21st out of 39 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 40.95 Hours per week per person 40.95 Hours per week per person 40.95 Hours per week per person 1
2010s 40.12 Hours per week per person 38.96 Hours per week per person 41.02 Hours per week per person 10
2020s 38 Hours per week per person 37.47 Hours per week per person 38.39 Hours per week per person 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 18 Luxembourg 37.66 Hours per week per person compare
  2. 19 New Zealand 37.55 Hours per week per person compare
  3. 20 Spain 37.48 Hours per week per person compare
  4. 22 Iceland 37.42 Hours per week per person compare
  5. 23 Sweden 37.34 Hours per week per person compare
  6. 24 Italy 37.2 Hours per week per person compare

See the full ranking of 54 places β†’

More work & labour data for Japan

All data for Japan β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is average usual weekly hours worked on the main job in Japan?
Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job in Japan was 37.47 Hours per week per person in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest average usual weekly hours worked on the main job recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 41.02 Hours per week per person in 2010.
What is the lowest average usual weekly hours worked on the main job recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 37.47 Hours per week per person in 2025.
How does Japan rank for average usual weekly hours worked on the main job?
Japan ranks 21st out of 39 countries with data for 2025.
Is average usual weekly hours worked on the main job rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/average-usual-weekly-hours-worked-on-the-main-job/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job
Unit
Hours per week per person
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
54 places, 1,589 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset contains data on average usual weekly hours worked in the main job broken down by total employment, full-time employment and part-time employment. Actual hours of work, instead of usual hours of work, are only available in some countries (Mexico and Korea). Data are further broken down by professional status - employees, total employment - by sex and standardised age groups (15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 65+ and total) . Detailed notes and sources can be found in LFS_NOTES_SOURCES. In order to facilitate analysis and comparisons over time, historical data for OECD members have been provided over as long a period as possible, often even before a country became a member of the Organisation. Information on the membership dates of all OECD countries can be found at: OECD Ratification Dates.