Mynavi Announces 2026 Part-Time Job Clothing and Grooming Survey Report

Mynavi Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shunsuke Awai) announced the results of the "Mynavi Part-Time Job Clothing and Grooming Survey Report," conducted targeting companies and individuals nationwide. This survey began in 2025 and is in its second year. ———————————————————————————————————————— **[TOPICS]** ◆ 66.9% of students agree with "freedom in clothing and grooming" when working part-time. The top reasons for agreement are "wanting to work as myself" and "being able to work in a relaxed manner" [Figures 1, 2, 3, 4]. ◆ Approximately 60% of students responded that "workplaces where clothing and grooming are free increase application intent" and "I think it increases work motivation" [Figure 5]. ◆ 30% of companies have relaxed their clothing and grooming rules in the last 5 years. The most cited impact of relaxation was "led to increased employee motivation" [Figures 6, 7, 8]. ———————————————————————————————————————— **[Survey Overview]** **◆ 66.9% of students agree with "freedom in clothing and grooming" when working part-time. The top reasons for agreement are "wanting to work as myself" and "being able to work in a relaxed manner."** When asked about agreement or disagreement with "freedom in workplace clothing and grooming," 53.6% of part-time workers agreed (24.1% strongly agree + 29.5% somewhat agree), maintaining a majority for the second consecutive year. Limiting this to students (high school + university) showed 66.9% agreement, 13.3 percentage points higher than the overall figure. For reasons of agreement, the top responses for both overall and students were "wanting to work as myself," "being able to work in a relaxed manner," and "lessening workplace formality." Regarding reasons for opposition, the most common for the overall group was "potential impact on operability (e.g., ease of movement), safety, and hygiene." For students, the most frequent reason was "lack of confidence in choosing appropriate attire." Furthermore, when asked which items should be allowed freedom in terms of clothing and grooming for part-time workers, "hair color," "hairstyle," and "makeup" were ranked highest for both overall and students. [Figures 1, 2, 3, 4]. **◆ Approximately 60% of students responded that "workplaces where clothing and grooming are free increase application intent" and "I think it increases work motivation."** Among part-time workers, 51.3% overall and 66.0% of students stated that "workplaces where clothing and grooming are free increase application intent," which is more than 10 percentage points higher than the overall figure. Additionally, the proportion who believe that "workplaces where clothing and grooming are free increase work motivation" was 51.0% overall, compared to 59.3% for students. This suggests that freedom in clothing and grooming particularly influences job choice and work motivation for students. [Figure 5]. **◆ 30% of companies have relaxed their clothing and grooming rules in the last 5 years. The most cited impact of relaxation was "led to increased employee motivation."** When personnel managers at companies were asked, "Have you relaxed employee clothing and grooming rules in the last 5 years (2021-2025)?", 33.4% responded that they had. Specific content of the relaxation included "clothing" at 53.4% being the most common, followed by "clothing color" (32.2%) and "hair color" (30.7%). When asked about the impact of relaxing clothing and grooming rules, positive effects included "led to increased employee motivation" at 29.5% being the most frequent, followed by "created an image of a company where it's easy to work" and "lessened workplace formality." [Figures 6, 7, 8]. **[Researcher's Comment]** This survey revealed a high level of interest in clothing and grooming among part-time workers, with a particularly noticeable emphasis on "freedom" among students. The background of agreeing with freedom in clothing and grooming can be inferred as a need for an "environment where they can be natural." Rather than separating work and private life and switching their mindset to "part-time job mode" for each shift, they may be attracted to workplaces where they can face work with a stable mindset, being themselves. On the other hand, among students' dissenting opinions, "lack of confidence in choosing appropriate attire" was a top reason. It is important to note that precisely because of the high degree of freedom, some individuals may feel it is a burden or hassle. The results of the corporate survey also show that relaxing clothing and grooming rules has led to increased employee motivation and improved workplace image, suggesting potential contributions to talent acquisition and retention. As April and May mark the start of the new fiscal year with frequent changes in part-time staff, companies might consider devising ways to enhance workplace appeal from the perspective of "clothing and grooming." Shota Miyamoto, Researcher, Career Research Lab **[Survey Details]** [Survey Period] Monday, March 2, 2026 – Tuesday, March 10, 2026 [Survey Target] Individuals: People aged 15-69 nationwide (excluding junior high school students) who are currently employed in part-time jobs. Companies: Nationwide managers, executives, or employees belonging to companies with 10 or more employees, who are aware of their company's hiring policies and employ part-time workers. [Valid Responses] Individuals: 3,555 people Companies: 789 people [Survey Method] Web questionnaire survey (Survey conducted by: Mynavi Corporation; Survey monitor provided by: External survey company) *For details on the survey results, click here (https://career-research.mynavi.jp/reserch/20260407_108993/)*