The employment rate after childbirth has risen over the past few years in Japan. Using firm-level data in 2006 and 2014, we find there is positive correlation between support for full commitment to their work and the rate of taking childcare leave, the rate of returning to work after taking maternity leave, ratio of females in full-time workers and in managers. Though the parenting support and flexible work arrangements have positive effects on the rate of childcare leave and return to work, they have little effect on the female ratio. Voluntary efforts for promoting female participation also have positive effects of retaining working mothers. Our findings of no relation between firm profit and working mother retention suggest that policies for promoting WLB have little chance of leading to deterioration in firm performance.
