The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare has released the results of its 2024 Basic Survey of Trade Unions. This annual survey, which covers all trade unions in Japan, seeks to clarify the actual trade union situation across the country, such as the number of trade unions and union members and the distribution of union members at enterprise, industrial, and national levels.

Number of Trade Unions and Union Members

As of June 30, 2024, the number of single trade unions in Japan was 22,513 and the total number of their members was 9,912,000. Compared to the previous year, the number of single trade unions decreased by 276 (-1.2%), while their membership decreased by 25,000 (-0.3%).

The estimated organization rate (that is, the ratio of union members to the total number of employed persons) was 16.1%, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous year and the lowest level ever. The number of women union members was 3,506,000, an increase of 32,000, and the estimated organization rate among women (that is, the ratio of women union members to the total number of employed women) was 12.4%, unchanged from the previous year.

Membership of Part-Time Workers

The number of part-time workers belonging to unions was 1,463,000: an increase of 53,000 (3.8%) over the previous year. Part-time workers accounted for 14.9% of all union members, the highest proportion ever, and their estimated organization rate was 8.8%.

Membership by Industry

By industry, the manufacturing industry had 2,615,000 members (26.5% of the total), followed by the wholesale and retail industry at 1,560,000 (15.8% of the total) and then the construction industry at 839,000 (8.5% of the total). Estimated organization rates were 25.7%, 15.5%, and 21.3%, respectively.

Membership by Company Size

The number of union members in private companies (enterprise-based unions) was 8,695,000, an increase of 3,000 (0.0%) from the previous year; the estimated organization rate was 15.5%. By company size, the total number of union members in companies with 1,000 or more employees was 5,875,000 (67.6% of total union membership); the estimated organization rate in such companies was 40.0%. Companies with 100–999 employees had 1,628,000 union members (18.5% of total union membership). The estimated organization rate in companies with 100–999 employees was 9.9%. Small companies with 99 or fewer employees had 183,000 union members (2.1% of total union membership); the estimated organization rate in such companies was 0.7%.

RENGO’s Response

Statement by RENGO (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) General Secretary Hideyuki Shimizu on the Results of the 2024 “Basic Survey of Trade Unions”

The estimated unionization rate stands at 16.1% (a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous year) and continues to decline year by year. This downward trend in the estimated unionization rate indicates a growing number of workers who are not protected by collective labor–management relations, underscoring the need for a strong sense of urgency.

While the number of female union members is increasing, the estimated unionization rate varies significantly by company size. For companies with over 1,000 employees, the rate is 40.0% (up 0.2 percentage points from the previous year). In contrast, companies with 100–999 employees have a rate of 9.9% (down 0.3 percentage points), and those with fewer than 99 employees have a rate of just 0.7% (down 0.1 percentage points). The unionization rate for small and medium-sized enterprises has further declined, reaching an alarmingly low level.

With unwavering dedication to achieving the organizational growth targets outlined in the “RENGO Organizational Expansion Plan 2030,” we will mobilize all resources to expand and strengthen unions and put a halt to this decline in membership.

RENGO receives approximately 20,000 labor-related consultations annually, most of which come from workers in workplaces without unions. RENGO will continue to provide support to all workers, including freelancers. Under healthy labor-management relations, unions can fulfill their roles in monitoring and providing recommendations to management, fostering workplaces where employees find purpose and satisfaction in their work. This, in turn, contributes to sustainable corporate growth and a virtuous economic cycle.

RENGO will actively engage with employer organizations and seize every opportunity to communicate the significance of labor unions to society. Through these efforts, it will fulfill its role in expanding and strengthening collective labor-management relations.

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1. Source: Labour Force Survey Monthly Results (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
   https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/roudou/results/month/index.html
2. Source: Indices of Industrial Production (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
   https://www.meti.go.jp/english/statistics/tyo/iip/index.html
3. Source: Summary of the Latest Month on Family Income and Expenditure Survey (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
   https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kakei/156.html
4.  Source: Consumer Price Index (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
   https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/cpi/1581-z.html