Japan Short of Paternity Leave Goals Despite Higher Numbers
- Record 17.1% of fathers took time off with kids, ministry says
- Premier Kishida set goal of 50% by 2025 in bid to share burden
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Japan is far from reaching the paternity leave goals laid out by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, even though a record percentage of fathers took time off to be with their babies last year.
According to the survey published Monday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 17.1% of men whose wives gave birth between Oct 2021 and Sept. 2022 took paternity leave, up more than three percentage points on the previous year. Just over 80% of women took maternity leave, down slightly on the previous year.