The Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs has revealed a plan to increase the number of national civil servants by 100 in fiscal 2024. The primary goal is to tackle the issue of excessive overtime work among civil servants. This move marks the first increase of national civil servants specifically aimed at reducing overtime work.
The labor problem is seen as a significant factor driving young people away from civil service jobs. In response, the government is committed to addressing the issue of long working hours, which is negatively impacting the recruitment of young talent into the civil service sector.
The government’s plan includes increasing the number of employees by 17 at the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, 10 at the Justice Ministry, and 8 at both the Finance Ministry and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry.
The increase in the number of bureaucrats is intended as a temporary measure until fiscal 2028. Plans for 2029 and beyond will be deliberated at a later date, taking into account factors such as the expected improvements in work efficiency due to digitization and the operations related to work concerning the Diet.
According to the National Personnel Authority survey, 9.1% of national civil servants worked beyond the standards set for overtime in fiscal 2021, marking the highest level since the survey commenced in fiscal 2019.
The handling of Diet affairs poses a significant burden on bureaucrats. Lawmakers submit questions for committee meetings in advance, requiring bureaucrats to prepare answers. However, it’s not uncommon for this work to extend into the early morning on the day of the meeting due to late submission of questions from both the ruling and opposition parties.
The number of applicants for career-track bureaucrats among national civil servants during the spring of 2023 hit the second-lowest figure ever recorded in a recruitment exam. Furthermore, the departure of mid-career workers is on the rise, emphasizing the urgent need to generate more interest in working as national civil servants.
