Saitama City has about 466,000 workers in the tertiary sector, while 66.9% of employees are regular employees. Even though the city functions as a bedroom community for Tokyo, it also has a substantial base of local jobs through commerce and transportation in Omiya and administration and education in Urawa. This is reflected in both its 92.9% daytime/nighttime population ratio and its employment structure.
Employment in Saitama City by industry and employment type (2020 Census)
| Category | Number / share |
|---|---|
| Labor force | 615,596 |
| Unemployed persons | 21,869 |
| Primary-industry workers | 4,116 |
| Secondary-industry workers | 104,753 |
| Tertiary-industry workers | 465,779 |
| Total employees | 506,390 |
| Regular employees | 338,617 (66.9%) |
| Temporary agency workers | 16,995 (3.4%) |
| Part-time, casual, and other workers | 150,778 (29.8%) |
A business and commercial city with 77.4% in the tertiary sector and 65.9% regular employment
Tertiary-industry employment is 465,779, far above 104,753 in the secondary sector and 4,116 in the primary sector. There are 21,869 unemployed people within a labor force of 615,596.
Of 506,390 employees, 338,617 are regular employees, 16,995 are temporary agency workers, and 150,778 are part-time and other workers. The regular-employment share is 66.9%, meaning that even in a commercial city, roughly one-third of employment is handled by temporary, part-time, and other workers.
Omiya's commerce and branch-office economy and Urawa's administration and education create the tertiary sector
Omiya Station brings together Shinkansen and conventional rail lines, with a concentration of shopping facilities, corporate branch offices, and transport-related services. Urawa contains prefectural government and administrative functions as well as education and healthcare, supporting the city's tertiary sector.
At the same time, many residents commute to Tokyo on the Keihin-Tohoku, Saikyo, Utsunomiya, and other lines, so residents' workplaces extend both inside and outside the city. Saitama City is not merely a “place to sleep”; it is both a prefectural business center and a Tokyo commuter residential city, which helps explain its high service-sector share.
How to read these figures
Population and labor statistics are available only for specific reference years and may not reflect later economic conditions or changes in employment.
The article is organized primarily around published statistical figures. Numerical values directly observable in the statistical tables should be distinguished from interpretations of background factors.
Summary: Saitama City is a prefectural business center that goes beyond its bedroom-community role
Saitama City's roughly 466,000 tertiary-sector workers reflect commerce and transportation in Omiya and administration and education in Urawa. Having local employment in addition to Tokyo commuting contributes to the city's stability.
- Tertiary industry: 465,779 workers
- Regular employment: 66.9%
- Omiya: commerce and transportation; Urawa: administration and education
- The city has two faces: Tokyo commuter suburb and prefectural urban center
Source: Published statistics listed in the Analysis notes at the end of this article
📊 Analysis notes
This article is based on the following statistical data.
- Statistics used: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Social and Demographic Statistics System (Labor) (Table ID: 0000020106, view on e-Stat)
- Area: Saitama City
- Year: 2020
- Data retrieved: June 6, 2026
- Notes: The article is organized primarily around figures from published statistics. Because population composition, employment practices, and other factors outside the article also matter, numerical values directly observable in the statistical tables should be distinguished from interpretation.
Chart and table values have been independently aggregated and visualized from the statistical data above.
Table values have been organized from the statistical data above.