Japan's paternity leave rate tops 50% for 1st time in fiscal 2025

The rate of men in Japan taking child care leave topped 50 percent for the first time in fiscal 2025, apparently boosted by government efforts to encourage fathers to take the time off, the labor ministry said Friday.Last fiscal year, the rate rose 10.4 percentage points from a year earlier to 50.9 percent, increasing for the 13th straight year, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The survey was first conducted in fiscal 1993.The figure reached the government's target of 50 percent by 2025. The ministry attributed the increase to gains at smaller workplaces, but women re…READ FULL ARTICLE