Career Women More Likely to Want Kids (in Japan)
Working women with career ambitions in Japan show higher fertility intentions, challenging assumptions about work-family trade-offs.
You've probably heard time and time again that Japan's birth rate hit a record low of 1.26 in 2022 (well below replacement) threatening workforce sustainability and social security systems. (Though for some reason, people think Japan is unique in this regard when it's not, I mean Italy, China, Chile, etc.) Speaking of clichés, a common one is the work-versus-family dilemma. However, research from Kanagawa University of Human Services suggests that career advancement and childbearing aren't mutually exclusive goals, reminding us that clichés are just that, clichés .
The study: "Career advancement and fertility intention among working women in Japan: a cross-sectional survey study" by Honami Yoshida, Mariko Nishikitani, Masumi Okamoto, Akio Kurokawa, Mika Hoshina, Mizuki Yazawa and Nao Ichihara, published in BMC Women's Health (2025).
By the numbers:
3,425 women surveyed across 14 companies in Tokyo's Marunouchi district (September-October 2022)
1,621 women under 40 included in final analysis
68.4% expressed intention to have children or additional children
94% with fertility intentions held regular full-time positions vs. 87% without
32% in sales roles wanted children vs. 22% without fertility plans
10% with childbearing plans had undergone fertility treatment vs. 1% without
The Career-Fertility Connection
The Working Women's Health Score survey, an industry-academia collaboration between Mitsubishi Estate, Femmes Médicaux, and Kanagawa University, reveals that women planning for children were nearly twice as likely to hold stable, regular employment (odds ratio 1.99). Sales workers showed 51% higher odds of fertility intention compared to clerical staff, while those in clerical positions were 25% less likely to want children.
Career advancement motivation scored significantly higher among women with fertility intentions (OR 1.13), contradicting Japan's traditional "motherhood track" versus "career track" dichotomy. These women also demonstrated distinct health management patterns: 66% reported confidence in their physical strength versus 58% without fertility plans, while 57% reported good sleep quality compared to 49% in the no-intention group.
What Didn't Matter
Surprisingly, several workplace factors showed no significant association with fertility intentions. Work engagement levels, psychological job demands, and job control measures were similar across both groups. Male colleagues' understanding of female health issues registered identically at 45-46%, while satisfaction with work (74% vs. 72%) and home life (88% vs. 84%) showed minimal differences.
Physical symptoms also failed to differentiate the groups. Dysmenorrhea severity scores (median 8 vs. 7), premenstrual syndrome scores (42 vs. 41), and overall health literacy for female-specific conditions showed no meaningful variations. Both groups worked similar hours (median 9 per day) and reported comparable workplace atmosphere friendliness (86% vs. 84%).
Structural Context
Japan's demographic challenge unfolds against profound workplace inequities. Women hold only 13% of managerial positions compared to 44% in the United States, while male participation in childcare leave remains at 17.13% versus 80.2% for women as of 2023. The social security system, originally designed for single-income households, faces strain as double-income households doubled between 2004 and 2021.
Traditional workplace practices persist despite policy initiatives. Long working hours, limited childcare support, and gendered career tracking create structural barriers for women attempting to balance professional advancement with family formation. (Dave’s note: Those in non-standard employment, regardless of gender, face their own particular challenges in what amounts to an equalish?-opportunity lack of traditional "careers.") However, the research suggests these challenges may be less decisive than previously assumed, with career-confident women potentially seeing themselves as better positioned to manage multiple life roles.
Study Limitations
The cross-sectional design prevents causal inference, capturing associations rather than determining whether career motivation drives fertility intention or vice versa. The urban sample from major Tokyo companies may not represent broader Japanese working women, particularly those in rural areas or smaller firms. Selection bias inherently excludes women who left the workforce for family reasons, potentially overestimating the association between career motivation and fertility intention.
Researchers lacked access to direct income data, as participating companies' human resources departments declined to include salary questions. The study relied on self-reported measures without objective validation, and cannot track whether expressed intentions translate into actual births. Working hours data showed quality issues, with 8.3% of participants providing inconsistent responses about standard versus overtime hours.
These limitations aside, emerging international research reveals similar patterns challenging what increasingly appears to be an outdated cliché (while I dislike clichés, my god I love using that word). Martin Kolk's longitudinal study in Sweden demonstrates how women's income association with birth rates shifted from slightly negative to positive over time. In recent Swedish cohorts, accumulated disposable income correlates strongly with fertility. While high-parity mothers still have relatively low incomes, earnings of mothers with 1-3 children now exceed those of childless women, suggesting the career-fertility relationship may be fundamentally changing across developed economies.
Policy Implications
The findings suggest workplace policies supporting continuous career development need not conflict with demographic goals. However, implementation requires careful consideration to avoid reinforcing traditional gender expectations or creating additional pressure on women to excel in both domains simultaneously.
Future research should employ longitudinal designs tracking whether intentions become births, include women who have exited the workforce, and expand beyond Tokyo to diverse geographic contexts (would love to see it on a prefecture based level or comparing to different wards in a large city like Tokyo personally). Specific interventions worth testing include career advancement paths that accommodate family formation timing, expanded childcare facilities, mandatory paternity leave, and performance evaluation systems that don't penalize parental leave usage.
Bottomline: Rather than forcing women into, again, clichés choices between career and motherhood, workplace policies (or more likely considering the RTO shitstorm, government policy) and support both goals. I would like to stress, this isn’t a Japan only route to deal with falling birthrates, we seen other studies saying similar things.