One in 7 younger Japan bureaucrats wants to quit government job within few years

One out of seven young male civil servants under 30 intends to quit within a few years, according to a recent government survey.

The results reflect dissatisfaction with their jobs and the long working hours that make it difficult to achieve a work-life balance. They also suggest that there is an urgent need to reform the way government officials work.

Of male bureaucrats under 30 who responded, 14.7 percent said they are preparing to leave their jobs or thinking about quitting in one to three years, the survey by the Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs showed.

Asked why, 49.4 percent of the respondents, including those willing to stay longer but quit before the mandatory retirement age, said they hope to switch to more attractive jobs, while 39.7 percent said they aren’t being paid enough.

In addition, 34.0 percent said long working hours have made it difficult to balance work with family life.

Older bureaucrats, however, are less interested in finding other jobs, with 6.0 percent in their 30s, 2.6 percent in their 40s and 3.3 percent 50 or above wanting to leave in several years.

A similar tendency was seen among female bureaucrats, with 9.7 percent under 30, 8.0 percent in their 30s and 3.9 percent each in their 40s and 50s saying they want to leave in the next few years, the survey said.

The government is increasingly concerned about the departure of young employees, so it has asked all of its agencies to step up the work style reform drive.

“I’m sure every one of them became a bureaucrat to contribute to the public,” said an official in the personnel bureau. “We will try to make their jobs more attractive so that they can stay for many years.”

The Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs compiled the results in June after the survey, conducted in the final two months of 2019, drew responses from about 45,000 government employees.