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How Japanese single Mothers Work

Abstract Welfare support for single mothers in Japan has been subject to significant restructuring in the recent years. Whereas single mothers had received support in the form of the dependent children's allowance (jidō fuyō teate) in the past, reforms introduced in 2003 have aimed instead to promote single mothers' employment and make them independent from state assistance. This paper examines the working conditions of single mothers in Japan and explores the barriers they face in making this move ‘from welfare to work.’ Given that only few married mothers in Japan work, how do single mothers manage to balance childcare with earning a living wage? Based on statistical data and life history interviews, I investigate the problems single mothers face in balancing their children's needs with the demands of work. In examining their work histories, I highlight the role of qualifications, employment in specific job sectors, as well as the impact of motherhood on single mothers' long-term work trajectories and income. Their experience contributes not only to an understanding of the challenges of being a single parent but also of the constraints women in general face in pursuing a career and becoming economically independent from husbands, families and the state.