[4/1: 40th Anniversary of the Equal Employment Opportunity Law & Amendment of the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation] 41% of Working Women in Their 30s-40s Considering Changing Jobs; 80% Engaged in Self-Investment

Waris Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Co-Representatives: Fumika Yonekura, Miwa Tanaka, Kyoko Kawa; hereinafter "Waris"), a human resources service company that supports everyone in living their own unique lives through the promotion of diverse work styles, is looking back on the 40-year journey of the "Equal Employment Opportunity Law" as it reaches its 40th anniversary on April 1, 2026. Ahead of the enforcement of the "Amended Act on the Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace," which will mandate that companies with 101 or more employees disclose their "ratio of female managers" and "wage gap between men and women," we are introducing the "current status" of women in their 30s and 40s based on survey results regarding "job satisfaction" and "career prospects."

This survey highlights the proactive will of women who, behind the "numbers" tracked by companies, are seeking a "flexible career" that can change shape according to life events, rather than a linear career path aligned with organizational logic.

The 40-Year Journey of "Women x Working"

[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% Aiming for Job Changes Regarding future direction, while 19.6% aim for "promotion/management positions," a notable segment is oriented toward "job changes/career changes" (41.3%) and "side jobs/parallel careers" (36.6%). This reveals a desire for a "flexible career" that can be reshaped to fit life events, rather than the continuous career path demanded by organizations.

2. The Key to Job Satisfaction is "Flexible Work Styles." Meanwhile, Distrust in Evaluations Persists The primary reason for satisfaction among those currently satisfied with their jobs (satisfied/somewhat satisfied: 57.1%) is the environmental aspect, where the introduction of remote work and similar measures has made it "physically easier to balance work and home life." Conversely, the dissatisfied group (dissatisfied/somewhat dissatisfied: 20.2%) cites the lack of transparency in evaluation systems and resistance to the recent "return to the office" trend as reasons.

3. Over 80% Engaged in "Self-Investment" The percentage of those engaged in self-investment such as reskilling (actively doing so/doing so occasionally) reached 80.5%. Furthermore, 91.2% view AI as a "tailwind for their careers," clearly demonstrating a proactive will to enhance their market value without relying on their organizations.

- Status of Self-Investment (Reskilling, Certification, etc.) - How do you view the changes brought by AI for your future career?

4. Urgent Voices of Women in Their 30s-40s: "Women's Health" and "Structural Handicaps" Highlighted by Legal Amendments *Interviews with the respondents can be arranged.

[Rule Making] Sense of Crisis Regarding Evaluation Systems Based on "Healthy Men" "The fact that the rule-making for working is designed based on people who do not experience menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause is a huge handicap in itself. I think it's dangerous if small and medium-sized enterprises don't realize that they won't last unless they start making rules based on people who have these handicaps." (40s, Full-time employee)

[Questioning Social Structure] The Limits of "Linear" Career Models "I feel that career formation and family formation overlap, and the burden still falls heavily on women. The whole of society needs to understand that the structure places a heavy burden on women regarding childcare, pregnancy, and fertility treatment, and companies need to establish systems where people can build their careers with peace of mind based on that premise." (40s, Freelance/Sole Proprietor)

[Structural Chain] "Men's Choices" Determine Women's Careers "Men need more choices in how they work. Even if only women gain flexibility in work styles, if the men who are their partners don't change, the social structure won't change because care work will remain skewed toward women. As the generation requiring nursing care grows, if male managers don't realize flexible work, the following generations won't be able to follow suit and will hit a dead end." (30s, Freelance/Sole Proprietor)

[Essential Equality] Toward New Mutual Understanding Based on "Physical Differences" "I think it is important not only to have gender equality but also to understand and compensate for the differences in physical strength and body between genders." (40s, Freelance/Sole Proprietor)

[System Updates] System Design That Does Not Assume "Being Healthy" "I would like to see a system that allows for time off for hospital visits or administrative procedures, an evaluation system not tied to working hours, and mechanisms that do not assume that the individual or their family is always healthy." (40s, Full-time employee)

[Fertility Treatment/Menstruation] A Shift to a Society That Assumes Poor Health "Balancing it with fertility treatment was difficult." (40s, Freelance/Sole Proprietor) "Beyond childcare and pregnancy, there are waves of poor physical condition due to menstrual cycles. I want Japan to become a place where people can be more flexible and where those who are unwell can rest properly." (40s, Freelance/Sole Proprietor)

Reflections on the Survey Miwa Tanaka, Co-Representative, Waris Inc. This survey highlights that job satisfaction is concentrated on "flexible work styles," and that there is more support for "changing jobs" (41.3%) and "side jobs" (36.6%) than for "promotion" (19.6%) as future career paths. Additionally, the fact that over 80% are autonomously engaged in "self-investment" is an expression of their proactive will to carve out their careers beyond the framework of an organization.

However, the difficulty of women's careers is not a problem that can be solved by individual effort alone. It is a "social issue" that must be solved, stemming from the fact that current social structures—such as hiring, evaluation, and career models—are designed based on a "linear" life path with little change. Based on these survey results, Waris will continue to propose "flexible careers" that allow individuals to continue working for a long time while changing shape according to life events, staying close to each person's values of "how they want to live" through diverse means such as freelancing, remote work, and reskilling.

● [New Action] Annual "AI x Reskilling Course" To respond to the "desire for autonomy" and "expectations for AI" revealed in the survey, we will hold multiple "AI x Reskilling Courses" in fiscal year 2026 to help women use technology as a weapon to break through the walls of social structure.

Overview of the "Survey on Working Women in Their 30s-40s" Survey Period: December 23, 2025 – January 23, 2026 Target: Working women in their 30s-40s Method: Web-based questionnaire Number of Responses: 317 Survey Organizer: Waris Inc. Full Survey Results: https://forms.gle/E6zopnoCtxXSrKoF8

Request Regarding Citation and Reprinting You are free to cite or reprint the "Survey on Working Women in Their 30s-40s" based on the following conditions: - Please be sure to credit "Waris Inc." - If you link to the survey results from your website, please use the following URL: https://waris.co.jp/27074.html