76% Don’t Disclose Disabilities or Diagnoses During Job Hunting, Nippon Foundation Survey Finds

From Kyodo via Yahoo! Japan

August 23 2026

TOKYO – A Nippon Foundation survey found on the 23rd that 76.5% of people diagnosed with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or with mental illnesses, said they had never disclosed their diagnosis during their job search. The main reason was concern that doing so would put them at a disadvantage, such as being rejected for a job. The survey targeted people who did not have a disability certificate and had sought employment through standard recruitment channels.

Japan’s Act for Eliminating Discrimination against People with Disabilities requires companies to provide “reasonable accommodation” to all people with disabilities, regardless of whether they possess a disability certificate. This includes measures such as allowing additional time during recruitment tests. However, if applicants do not disclose their disability, they may lose the opportunity to receive such accommodations. Creating an environment in which people feel comfortable disclosing disabilities remains a challenge in ensuring equal employment opportunities.

The survey was conducted online from December last year through February this year. Responses were collected from 664 people who had experience seeking employment or working in Japan since April 2018.

Among respondents, 7.6% said they had disclosed their diagnosis during their job search, while 15.9% had experience both disclosing and not disclosing it. Among those who chose not to disclose their diagnosis, the most common reason – selected by 66.4% – was “I had previously been rejected after disclosing it, or I was afraid that disclosing it would result in rejection.”