Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan

Japan: Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) was 7.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
7.5%
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
165th
of 187 countries
All-time high
17.7%
in 1991
All-time low
7.5%
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan, 1991–2025

051015201991200820251991: 17.71992: 16.91993: 15.91994: 15.61995: 15.31996: 14.81997: 14.71998: 141999: 13.82000: 13.22001: 12.72002: 12.32003: 12.12004: 122005: 11.72006: 10.92007: 10.52008: 10.32009: 102010: 9.62011: 9.42012: 9.32013: 9.12014: 9.12015: 8.82016: 8.42017: 8.32018: 8.22019: 8.12020: 8.12021: 8.72022: 7.92023: 7.92024: 7.62025: 7.5

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2025, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan stood at 7.5%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan peaked at 17.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 7.5%, in 2025.

Japan ranks 165th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Japan, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 17.7%
1992 16.9% -4.7%
1993 15.9% -5.5%
1994 15.6% -2.3%
1995 15.3% -1.9%
1996 14.8% -3.0%
1997 14.7% -1.1%
1998 14.0% -4.4%
1999 13.8% -1.8%
2000 13.2% -3.8%
2001 12.7% -4.4%
2002 12.3% -2.8%
2003 12.1% -1.4%
2004 12.0% -0.8%
2005 11.7% -2.5%
2006 10.9% -6.9%
2007 10.5% -3.6%
2008 10.3% -2.7%
2009 10.0% -3.0%
2010 9.6% -3.2%
2011 9.4% -2.4%
2012 9.3% -0.8%
2013 9.1% -2.0%
2014 9.1% -0.6%
2015 8.8% -2.8%
2016 8.4% -4.4%
2017 8.3% -1.3%
2018 8.2% -1.1%
2019 8.1% -1.4%
2020 8.1% +0.0%
2021 8.7% +6.7%
2022 7.9% -8.8%
2023 7.9% -0.1%
2024 7.6% -3.1%
2025 7.5% -1.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 15.4% 13.8% 17.7% 9
2000s 11.6% 10.0% 13.2% 10
2010s 8.8% 8.1% 9.6% 10
2020s 7.9% 7.5% 8.7% 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 162 Austria 7.9% compare
  2. 163 Hungary 7.8% compare
  3. 164 Israel 7.7% compare
  4. 166 Estonia 7.1% compare
  5. 167 Luxembourg 6.9% compare
  6. 168 Bulgaria 6.9% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan?
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan was 7.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 17.7% in 1991.
What is the lowest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 7.5% in 2025.
How does Japan rank for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment)?
Japan ranks 165th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
Is vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/vulnerable-employment-total-percent-of-total-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Vulnerable employment is contributing family workers and own-account workers as a percentage of total employment.