The Hardest Market · Japan
Japan's HR data
Data, rule changes and analysis for hiring and leading in Japan: listed and unlisted company data, every employment-law change, the rules and the calculators, in one place.
30,364employers with HR data (3,789 listed, 26,575 unlisted)
14.5%women in management (2023, ILO)
18public holidays (2026)
Company data
Listed companiesWomen in management, the gender pay gap, fathers' leave and more at 3,789 listed companiesUnlisted employersWomen's advancement data for 26,575 unlisted employersRankingsBy industry, prefecture and sizeHR statisticsIndustry medians and spreads
Rules and the labour market
Labour Law TrackerEvery employment-law change, with its effective dateHR calendarFiling deadlines, rule changes and statistics releasesPay by occupationFrom MHLW's wage censusJob marketJob-to-applicant ratios by occupation and prefecture
Calculators
Take-home payNet pay after social insurance, income tax and residence taxCost of hireThe employer's full cost of a salaryExit costWhat a negotiated exit typically costsCompare marketsJapan against 50 markets on cost and take-home
Reports and reference
The State of Japan HR 2026Annual report on listed companies' disclosuresData plans and pricingEvery company, a dashboard and ExcelJapan HR Glossary283 Japanese HR terms explainedDaily HR newsJapan's HR news, every day
Employment rules
| Statutory annual leave | 10 days after six months, rising to 20; 5 days must be taken |
|---|---|
| Notice of dismissal | 30 days, or pay in lieu |
| Severance required by law | None |
| Typical negotiated exit | Commonly 3–6 months’ pay plus unused leave |
| Probation | Commonly 3–6 months; dismissal still needs grounds |
| Working hours | 40 a week; overtime capped at 45 a month and 360 a year |
| How hard is dismissal? | Very hard: needs objectively reasonable grounds |
Other markets: see all 51 markets.