Changes in the work arrangements and new lifestyles after the COVID-19 pandemic : Evidence based on survey data from the Japanese Cabinet Office

Abstract

This study compared working arrangements, interest in rural migration, and life satisfaction in Japan in two periods: immediately after the COVID-19 (2019 coronavirus disease) pandemic and two years after the global outbreak. The comparison was based on data from the ʻʻ Survey on Changes in Attitudes and Behaviors in Daily Life under the Influence of Novel Coronavirus Infection, 2020, 2021 ʼʼ , which was conducted four times by the Japanese Cabinet Office directly after the COVID crisis (May 2020 and September 2021). The respondents who participated in both the first and fourth surveys were employed individuals aged 20 years or older. The results are as follows. First, the proportion of Tokyo residents engaging in telework immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic was 36.1%, which is higher than the levels observed nationwide. Second, individuals involved in telework and those working under flexible arrangements were more highly interested in moving to rural areas than those who commute to work. Third, among people engaged in telework, life satisfaction diminished immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the period before this crisis. After two years of the pandemic, however, life satisfaction among this group improved. Changes in working arrangements due to the pandemic can be expected to promote migration, as well as help revitalize regions and encourage the discovery of new lifestyles.