[April 1st: 40 Years of Equal Employment Opportunity Law & Revised Act on Promotion of Women's Active Participation] 41% of Working Women in their 30s-40s Consider Changing Jobs, 80% Engage in Self-Investment

Waris Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Joint CEOs: Fumika Yonekura, Miwa Tanaka, Kyoko Kawa), a human resources service company that supports everyone's unique life by supporting diverse working styles for women, is pleased to announce that on April 1, 2026, the "Equal Employment Opportunity Law" will mark its 40th anniversary, and with the enforcement of the "Revised Act on the Promotion of Women's Active Participation," companies with 101 or more employees will be obligated to disclose "the ratio of women in managerial positions" and "the gender pay gap." Ahead of these milestones, we will look back on the past 40 years and introduce the "current status" of women in their 30s-40s based on survey results regarding "job satisfaction" and "career outlook."

This survey revealed that behind the "numbers" that companies pursue, women are actively seeking a "flexible career" that can change its form according to life events, rather than a linear career aligned with organizational logic.

40 Years of "Women x Work"

[Survey Results] The "True Feelings" and "Actions" of Women in their 30s-40s, Seen Through Data

1. [Career Direction] "Challenges Outside the Company" Over "Internal Promotion." 41.3% Aim for Job Changes

Regarding future career direction, while "aiming for promotion/managerial positions (19.6%)" was stated, a significant portion indicated a preference for "job changes/career shifts (41.3%)" and "side jobs/parallel careers (36.6%)." This suggests a desire for a "flexible career" that can adapt to life events, rather than a continuous career path expected by organizations.

2. "Flexible Work Styles" Determine Job Satisfaction. However, Distrust in Evaluation Systems

The primary reason for satisfaction with current jobs (satisfied/somewhat satisfied; 57.1%) is the environmental aspect, such as "physical ease of balancing work and family" due to the introduction of remote work. On the other hand, those dissatisfied (dissatisfied/somewhat dissatisfied; 20.2%) cited reasons such as the lack of transparency in evaluation systems and resistance to the recent "return-to-office" trend.

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