星人事労務コンサルティング・ホームページ
What's NEW
06-Mar-2015 Foreign trainees in 3 disaster-hit prefectures top 4,300(MAINICHI)
The number of foreign trainees in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures -- hard hit by the 2011 Great East Japan10+件 Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster -- has rebounded to top 4,300, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned. These trainees are currently engaged in reconstruction efforts in the prefectures, alleviating the local labor shortage, interviews with officials of the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau and other parties reveal.
04-Mar-2015 No. of households on welfare in Japan hits new record high in Dec.(MAINICHI)
The number of households on welfare in Japan reached a new record 1,618,196 as of December last year, up 3,296 from the previous month, government data showed Wednesday. The number of recipients stood at 2,170,161 in the month, up 3,388 from a month earlier, marking the second-highest rise, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said. Of the total, the number of households consisting of persons aged 65 or older came to 764,693, or 47.5 percent, the ministry said. The number of so-called "other households" that include persons who are able to work but receiving public assistance came to 279,536, while that of single-mother households was 109,250. Both figures showed a drop from a year earlier, reflecting the recent economic recovery, a ministry official said.
28-Sep-2011 G-20 May Fail to Regain 20 Million Jobs Lost by 2015, OECD Says(bloomberg)
Employment growth in the Group of 20 nations by 2015 may fail to replace the estimated 20 million jobs lost since the global financial crisis began, according to international jobs and development groups. The projected job-expansion rate of 1 percent annually is less than the pace of at least 1.3 percent needed to recover those positions and absorb people joining the workforce, according to a report released today by the International Labor Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
30-June-2011 Japan govt agrees tax hike, hurdles to plan remain (Reuters)
Japan's government agreed on Thursday to double the sales tax to 10 percent by mid-decade to fund rising welfare costs but faces difficulty in getting the necessary support from combative opposition parties.
30-June-2011 Census Shows Social Security At Breaking Point (Nikkei)
-Japan has proportionally the most adults 65 or older and the least children under 15 in the world, according to preliminary 2010 census results, underscoring the enormous strain on social security programs that depend on contributions from working-age Japanese.
28-June-2011 Job Uncertainty Means Fewer U.S., European Babies, Study Says(Bloomberg)
Job uncertainty has pushed down fertility rates in the U.S. and Europe, where young people postponed having babies in the midst of a recession, according to demographic research published today.
16-February-2011 Most companies in China to hike wages in '11: Survey
About three quarters of companies operating in China expect to increase wages by over 5% in 2011, a survey by British recruitment group Hays showed on Wednesday. The finding comes amid a boom in China's middle class, a result of the country's economic success, and highlights the high inflationary pressures in the pipeline as well as rising costs faced by many companies.
03-February-2011 Productivity in the U.S. Unexpectedly Accelerates
The productivity of U.S. workers unexpectedly increased in the fourth quarter at a faster rate as companies sought to contain costs. The measure of employee output per hour rose at a 2.6 percent annual rate, compared with a revised 2.4 percent gain in the previous three months, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. Economists projected a 2 percent advance, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey. Labor expenses fell for fifth time in six quarters.
01-February-2011 Germany employment rises
Germany's labor market strongly rebounded in January after December's slip, propelled by the country's economic upswing. The number of people unemployed declined by 13,000 when adjusted for seasonal swings, after increasing by a revised 1,000 in December, the Federal Labor Office said. That pushed down the adjusted jobless rate down to 7.4% from 7.5% previously?the lowest rate since records for this measure began in 1999, a spokeswoman at the office said.
01-February-2011 Germany employment rises
Germany's labor market strongly rebounded in January after December's slip, propelled by the country's economic upswing. The number of people unemployed declined by 13,000 when adjusted for seasonal swings, after increasing by a revised 1,000 in December, the Federal Labor Office said. That pushed down the adjusted jobless rate down to 7.4% from 7.5% previously?the lowest rate since records for this measure began in 1999, a spokeswoman at the office said.
19-January-2011 Worldwide, 40% Are Employed Full Time for an Employer
Forty percent of the global workforce was employed full time for an employer in 2009 and 2010, according to Gallup surveys from 129 countries and areas. Nineteen percent were underemployed, including 7% who were unemployed. 18-January-2011 In U.S., 16.4% of Adults Uninsured in 2010
As House Republicans prepare to vote to repeal the healthcare law President Obama signed last year, Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data find 16.4% of adults were uninsured in 2010, statistically unchanged from 2009, but up from 14.8% in 2008.
02-December-2010 Job Market Bleak for Japanese Grads; Brighter for Asian Peers
If you're a fresh college graduate in Japan, your chances of securing a job are pretty dismal. The lack of employment options for young Japanese graduates has reached the proportions worthy of a national crisis: according to a government survey released earlier this month, only 57.6% of university students due to graduate next spring had secured employment as of Oct. 1, an all-time record low.
The tough times for students underlines the fact that Japanese companies are still cautious about hiring full-time staff amid uncertainty over the nation’s economy. At the same time, college students are picky about where they work ? securing employment at a big brand name is very important for most Japanese grads, which makes the supply and demand situation even worse. But there’s one area where demand and supply seems to be matching up: Asian students who want to work for Japanese firms and Japanese companies who hope to hire foreign students. As Japanese companies push to globalize their operations, they’re keen to hire more foreign students who speak languages other than Japanese.
20-October-2010 We may lose more than 3 million employments
The Nippon Keidanren has released their recommendation "inward investment promotion program"on what the Japanese government should do with their policy within 6 months to 1 year and to start the program as soon as possible. The recommendations said that " it is possible that Japan will loose 60 trillion yen of sales and 3 million employments" if manufacturing industry's production continues to shift to overseas and emphasized on the requirement for the Japanese government's inward investment promotion. It also said that the unemployment rate will increase by 5% from that of 5.1% in August. The recommendation also emphasized on reducing the corporate income tax rate from current rate 40% to 30% as soon as possible. About the yen appreciation issue, the recommendation required for the Japanese government's quick yen devaluation without any hesitation otherwise the Japanese industry will be seriously damaged.
14-October-2010 The average single woman's wage exceeds the average single man's wage
According to the survey in 2009 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan, the average income of young single women under 30 is 218,100 yen, which is 2,600 yen higher than young single men under 30's. This shows that the manufacturing industry which employs many men having a hard time in employments and wages while the Medicaland Nursing care industry which employs many women increases their employments and wages. Although the wage between men and women in Japan are said to be a big difference compared to other advanced countries, this result shows some changes.
06-August-2010 The French get the most paid leaves while the Japanese get the least
According to a survey of the consuming rate of paid leave country-by-country report by Ipsos JSR Company and Reuter, the French were ranked first (89%), while the Japanese were ranked last (33%). The survey was conducted in 24 countries and 12,500 people participated in it. Argentina was 2nd, with 80%, Hungary was with 78%, England was with 77%, and South Africa and Australia were with 47%. Korea was with 53%, which is relatively a low rate. According to the vice-President of Ipsos JSR, 2/3 of the workers consume all the paid leaves worldwide. Young workers are apt to use more paid leaves than old ones and 60% of board members did not use any. He said that there are various reasons why they do not take all their paid leaves but main one is due to the workers’ sense of duty.
03-August-2010 The income disparities widened due to the increase of temporary employees
According to the white paper on labor and the economy issued by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on August 3rd, it was pointed out that the income disparities widened because the number of temporary employees increased due to easing of regulations, such as Worker Dispatch Law.
02-August-2010 Bernanke Says U.S. Consumer Spending to Accelerate
Aug. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said rising wages will probably spur household spending in the next few quarters, even as weak job gains drag down consumer confidence.
30-July-2010 Unemployment rate increased for the 4th consecutive month
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on 30th of July, unemployment increased by 0.1% from the previous month. It has worsen over 4th consecutive month. It is considered to be influenced by the severity of the employment situation among young people. The job-offers-to-seekers ratio increased by 0.02, reached 0.52. The application rate got better for the 2nd consecutive month. There is some improvement in the recruitment of employees, but the employment is still in severe condition.
26-July-2010 Overtime work and payment are at rock bottom
Unemployment rate is more than 5%. The employment condition is still in severe. Compared to the same time last year, there were more work hours last month. The salary got better 3 consecutive months. The speed of the recovery from the current crash is faster than the one from 2002.
17-July-2010 The manager rate for females is 8%, increase by 1.1% from 3 years ago
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on Equal Employment Opportunity Survey in 2009, the rate of female manager was 8.0%, increase by 1.1% from 2006. It is the biggest rate increase since this survey started on 1995. If only big companies are concerned, the rate is only 5.6%. It showed the environment is still not well prepared for women to work continuously. The section chief rate for females is 11.1%, section manager is 5.0%, and manager is 3.1%. They increased by 0.6%, 1.4%, and 1.1%, respectively.
16-July-2010 The rate of the listed companies on the Tokyo Exchange which solicited voluntary retirement decreased by 54%
According to Shoko Research, there were 66 listed companies which solicited voluntary retirement. It decreased 54% from the same term last year. The number of candidates was 10,687, which is a decrease by 30.3%. The result reflects the increase of the profit of export companies.
14-July-2010 A study group of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported that It is necessary to make the work environment easy for temporary employees to become permanent employee
A study group of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported on the 14th that it is necessary for permanent employees in Japan to diversify their work habits and make the work environment easier for temporary employees to shift to/become permanent ones.
14-July-2010 The number of employees increased by 310,000 people in June, an increase for 6 consecutive months
National Statistical Office of Korea anounced on 14th that the number of employees became 24280,000 people in June which increased by 314,000 people from last June. Compared to the same month of last year, it was the 6th consecutive month to have an increase in employment. It was due to the exporting business which improved the employment rate. The number of employees in manufacturing industry increased by 181,000 people.
09-July-2010 Recent Amendments of Japanese labor laws
  • Labor Standard Act

  • Labor standard Act in Japan was recently amended for the purpuse of maintaining workers' health and achieving work-life balance by seeking to limit long working hours. The amendment was started in force on April 1st in 2010.

    A. increase in the working overtime rate

    Under the amendment, if an employee works overtime and the amount of overtime exceeds 60 hours in one calender month, then with respect to excess, the employer must pay extra overtime compensation that exceeds, by at least 50%, the regular, non-overtime wage. In pther words, the employer must pay at least 150% of the regular wage for the overtime worked in excess of 60 hours per month. (The extra pay rate was 25% regardless of the number of overtime hours worked before April 2010) Certain "small and medium-sized companies" will be exempt under the amendment from paying the increased overtime compensation rate at least for the time being. WIth respect to the increased overtime rate required by the amendment(i.e., 25% of the regular non-overtime wage, which is the difference caused by the increase from 25% to 50%), the employer is allowed to give substitute holidays (daikyuu), which means giving employees days of leave at the regular wage rate instead of paying extra wages, provided that an employer first enters into a labor-management agreement with the employees to that effect. The amendment will not affect the statutory weekly holiday work extra pay ratio (35%) and late-night work extra pay ratio (25%).

    B. Employer's obligation to make efforts to increase overtime work

    Currently, an employer must enter into a labor-management agreement to have its employees to work overtime. Further, the employer must provide for special provisions in that agreement in order to require its employees to work overtime in excess of 45 hours per month. Under the amendment, if an employer enters into a labor-management agreement with the aforementioned special provisions, that employer will be obliged to stipulate an overtime compensation rate applicable to overtime work in excess of 45 hours per month. In that case, an employer is also required to make efforts to set the overtime compensation rate higher than 25% and to reduce the overtime hours exceeding 45 hours per month as much as possible.

    C. Taking annual paid leave by the hour

    Currently, an employee is supposed to take annual paid leave by the day. Under the amendment, however, an employee may take it by the hour, up to 5 days, if a labor-management agreement to that effect is entered into at the workplace. An employee may choose at his or her discretion whether he or she will take annual leave by the day or by the hour.

  • The Child Care Leave & Family Care Leave Act

  • These below started in force on June 30 in 2010.
    -provide child care leave until the child becomes 1 year and 2 months old
    -establish a short working hour system for those workers whose child has not reached 3 years old.
    -refrain from having overtime work done by those workers whose child has not reached 3 years old.
    -10 days of child nursing leave when workers have 2 or more children but 5 days if workers have a single child.
    -10 days of family nursing leave when workers have 2 or more families to take care of but 5 days if workers have a single family to take care of.
    20-June-2010 Japanese university students face difficulties in job hunting---80% of newly hires by Panasonic are foreigners this year
    Japanese university students face difficulties in job hunting due to the fact that many companies are increasing the number of employees from foreign countries. One of the reasons is that the expectation for the future Japanese market is not so high while markets in other Asian countries and developing countries will be huge and it is necessary to strengthen business in those countries. The company "FAST RETAILING" which runs "UNIQLO" hired 100 foreigners out of 200 newly hires in 2010. Out of 600, they plan to hire foreigners at the same rate in 2011. Panasonic hired 750 employees in foreign countries out of 1250 newly hires. In 2011, they will increase the foreigners' rate and will hire 1100 out of 1390 people.
    20-June-2010 Japanese university students face difficulties in job hunting---80% of newly hires by Panasonic are foreigners this year
    Japanese university students face difficulties in job hunting due to the fact that many companies are increasing the number of employees from foreign countries. One of the reasons is that the expectation for the future Japanese market is not so high while markets in other Asian countries and developing countries will be huge and it is necessary to strengthen business in those countries. The company "FAST RETAILING" which runs "UNIQLO" hired 100 foreigners out of 200 newly hires in 2010. Out of 600, they plan to hire foreigners at the same rate in 2011. Panasonic hired 750 employees in foreign countries out of 1250 newly hires. In 2011, they will increase the foreigners' rate and will hire 1100 out of 1390 people.
    18-June-2010 ~Abstract from the Japanese new government's New growth strategy~


     "Employment" and "Human Resource Strategy"

    -The employment rate of 20-64 years old will be 80%, while of 15 years old will be 15%
    -The employment rate of 20-34 years old will be 77%
    -The number of young part-timers(job hopper) : 1240,000
    -support NEET's employment: ( NEET is an acronym for "Not in Education, Employment or Training):100,000 new employees
    -Rate of employment of females between 22 to 24 will be 73% -Rate of employment of females who continue to work after giving birth to their 1st child will be 55%
    -The rate of child care leave for males will be 13%
    -The rate of employment of 60-64 years old will be 63%
    -The rate of employment of handicapped people will be 1.8%
    -0.8 billion yen order from government tohandicapped people's employment training facilities
    -3 million people will get job cards (to help them find new jobs in case of losing their current jobs)
    > -100% of internship opportunities will be for students by their universities -90,000 workers will be newly graduated university students, and 150,000 workers will be from vocational schools
    -self-development employees: 70% of regular employees and 50% of nonpermanent employees
    -70% of workers will use annual paid leaves
    -cut down current workers who work more than 60 hours a week to 50%
    -increase the minimum hourly wage to no less than 800 yen
    -increase average hourly wage to 1,000 yen
    -decrease number of work-related accidents to 30%
    -All work places will be able to provide mental healthcare
    -There will not be any secondhand smoke risk at any work place


     Full of children with a bright big smile

    -Better environment for anyone in Japan to give birth and raise their children
    -There will be no waiting lists for nursery schools
    -All the people who wish to work after they raise their children will be able to get their work back
    -Get world top scores in international academic achievement tests
    15-June-2010 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Panasonic are hiring many fast-track bureaucrats for establishing new markets in developing countries
    Japanese big enterprises are hiring people from abroad as fast-track bureaucrats in sales division, R&D division, and design division. Panasonic will let newly hired foreign employees work in Japan for the first 2 years as trainees. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will increase foreign employment especially from Asian countries by 800 people every year. They will limit employment in Japan, but increase the number of employees in foreign countries in different industries.
    04-June-2010 107 complaints in 6 months over holidays to people raising children and providing nursing care
    According to the Heatlh, Labour and Welfare Ministry, there were 107 complaints in 6 months over holidays to people raising and providing children with nursing care.There were complaints from 99 femals and 8 males. 75 out of 107 complaints were about the unfair treatment of going on a maternity leave.
    28-May-2010 Number of troubles between employees and employers in China occur 3 times as much as that of 3 years ago
    Japanese companies in China are required to deal with the rapid increase of chinese employees' wages. Nihon Densan began to settle factories in inland China due to the increase of the wages along coastal regions.
    27-May-2010 Tax for employment of foreigners is going to increase from 2011 in Malaysia
    The Malaysian government decided to create a policy for a raise of tax for employment of foreigners. They will change its tax rate after they discussed with an industrial representative. It is certain that Japanese companies will suffer from the policy because Japanese companies in Malaysia employ many foreigners.
    25-May-2010 The application fee for U.S.A VISA will increase from June
    US State Department announced that it will increase the Visa application fee from June 4th. It was 131 dollars for any type of VISA. However, after June 4th, the fee for those hard to get visas will be set to a higher price. For example, the VISA for people who get married to American citizen will be a $350. And the VISA for those people who come to the US for import/export businesses or investment businesses will be $390.
    17-February-2010 Q: Is it possible to get both childcare leave benefit and family care leave benefit at the same time?
    A: No. Because according to the Family and Medical Leave Act, one of the events that ends the Child Care leave is to start taking the Family care leave. That means it is impossible to get both benefits at the same time. The employee who takes the Child care leave can get 30% of his/her salary and when they get back to work and works for 6 months after the Child care leave, they receive another 20% of the salary, which means 50% of the salary. He/She is also given remission from social insurance. However the employee who takes the Family care leaves get only 40% of his/her salary for only 93 days without no remission from social insurance. So if an employee is able to choose either the Child Care leave or the Family care leave, it is better to get the Child care leave first. If his/her family still needs to be cared after the Child care leave, he/she can get the Family care leave.
    15-February-2010 Q: Is it possible to get both disability/invalidity benefit and family care leave benefit at the same time?
    A: The answer is “Yes” as there is no rule or law to prohibit getting both benefits at the same time. But it is very hard for the people who get disability benefit to care for their family. So if your employer applied for family care leave while you receive disability benefit, you should review his/her doctor’s certification and judge
    03-February-2010 January U.S. Private-Sector Jobs Fell by 22,000, ADP Says 
    The labor market showed positive signs of recovering in January. Private-sector jobs in the U.S. fell by 22,000 in January, the smallest drop since February 2008, and service jobs continued to rise, according to a national employment report published Wednesday by payroll giant Automatic Data Processing Inc. and consultancy Macroeconomic Advisers.
    31-January-2010 Payrolls Probably Rose at Start of Year: U.S. Economy Preview 
    The U.S. may have gained jobs in January for the second time in three months as the world’s largest economy began 2010 on firmer footing, economists said before reports this week. Payrolls probably rose by 13,000 workers this month, according to the median forecast of 50 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before the Labor Department’s Feb. 5 report. The unemployment rate may have held at 10 percent for the third consecutive month.
    29-January-2010 Japan jobless rate falls to 5.1 pct, job availability up 
    Japan's jobless rate edged down in December and the availability of jobs improved for the fourth month in a row. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent from 5.2 percent in November, government figures showed on Friday. That was better than median market forecast of 5.3 percent. The jobless rate hit a record high of 5.7 percent in July. [JPUNR=ECI] The jobs-to-applicants ratio improved slightly for the fourth consecutive month, rising to 0.46 from 0.45 in November. [JPJOBA=ECI]
    26-January-2010 UN: 27 Million People Became Unemployed In 2009
    Twenty-seven million people around the world lost their jobs in 2009, the U.N. labor agency said Wednesday, warning of a jobless recovery in a report released on the opening day of the World Economic Forum.
    25-January-2010 Companies in U.S. Plan to Hire, Spend This Year, Survey Shows
    More companies in the U.S. plan to increase payrolls and invest in new equipment this year as demand strengthens and credit availability improves, a quarterly survey of economists showed.
    23-November-2009 Japan GDP Accelerates, Easing Risk of Renewed Slump (Update1)
    US unemployment is likely to peak at about 10.5 per cent and may not start to come down until the summer of 2010, according to Charles Evans, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Mr Evans told the Financial Times he had been “a little surprised” by the -latest employment report, which showed unemployment at 10.2 per cent, and had edged up his forecast for the peak jobless rate accordingly.
    16-November-2009 Japan GDP Accelerates, Easing Risk of Renewed Slump (Update1)
    Japan’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in more than two years in the third quarter, led by a rebound in domestic demand that may ease concern of a return to recession next year.
    12-November-2009 Labor Market shows some signs of recovery in Korea
    The number of employees in Korea increased for 3 consecutive months while the number of unemployed decreased for 4 consecutive months in October. It shows some signs of economic recovery from the deep economic fall occurred last year. It is due to the effect of the Korean government’s drastic employment strategy with a huge budget.
    11-November-2009 Some ofJapanese government's electronic application procedures systems will be renewed
    According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on 9th, they announced that they give way to a new electronic application procedures system in January 2010. It will cut down the cost from 24,000 yen to between 500 yen and 700 yen per application. The system of Labour Insurance Contributions Levy is the one which will be shifted to a new system. The total number of the applications were 4,940,000 and its only 1%, 50,000 were used on line. With this system shift change, they will cut the running cost from 1.32 billion yen in 2008 to 0.24 billion next year.
    10-November-2009 The business of “a job assistance zones for elderly” is going to be closed
    The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry, Nagatsuma revealed a plan to close the business of “a job assistance zones for elderly” by March 2010 on 9th. There are 14 of its offices in Japan and it is often said that they have covered the same business as public job centers (hello-works) do.
    09-November-2009 The Japanese government focus on “employment”, “ environment” and “children” on economic growth strategies
    The Japanese government said that they will determined on economic growth strategies by the end of 2009. They are planning to focus on “employment”, “ employment”, and “children”.
    04-November-2009 ADP Says U.S. Companies Cut Estimated 203,000 Jobs (Update3)
    Companies in the U.S. cut an estimated 203,000 jobs in October, according to a private report based on payroll data. The drop was the smallest in more than a year and followed with a revised 227,000 decline the prior month, data from ADP Employer Services showed today. The figures were forecast to show a decline of 198,000 jobs, according to the median estimate of 34 economists in a Bloomberg survey.
    04-November-2009 U.S. Economy: Services Expand Less Than Anticipated (Update2)
    Service industries in the U.S. expanded more slowly than forecast in October, indicating that consumers spooked by mounting job losses are making a limited contribution to the recovery entering the fourth quarter. The Institute for Supply Management’s index of non- manufacturing businesses which make up the largest part of the economy fell to 50.6 in October from 50.9 in September, according to the Tempe, Arizona-based group. Another report today showed that companies continued to cut employees.
    01-November-2009 Payrolls Probably Fell, Factories Sped Up: U.S. Economy Preview
    Employers in the U.S. kept cutting jobs in October and manufacturing picked up, pointing to an uneven economic recovery that will take time to encourage hiring, economists said before reports this week. Payrolls fell by 175,000 workers last month, deepening the worst employment slump since the 1930s, according to the median of 63 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey ahead of a Nov. 6 Labor Department report. A purchasing managers’ report may show factories expanded at the fastest pace since 2006.
    29-October-2009 Raising unemployment insurance rate to 1.2%
    According to Roudouseisaku shingikai, an advisory panel to the Ministry, they are largely agreed on raising the unemployment insurance rate to 1.2%. It has been 7 years since raising the unemployment insurance rate. The unemployment insurance account will be 800 billion yen in the red. The final decision will be made by Nagatsuma, Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare by the end of March 2010.
    27-October-2009 Fukushima prefecture announced that companies who have recently hired will get priority on government contracts
    Fukushima prefecture decided to give priority on government contracts to companies having hired recently. They made this decision for companies to make more employment opportunities. This policy will go into effect on November 9th.
    26-October-2009 ILO report says temporary workers among the worst hit by the economic crisis, urges balance between flexible labour markets and workers’ protection
    GENEVA (ILO News) - A new report issued by the International Labour Office (ILO) says that workers employed by temporary employment agencies have been among the first to lose their jobs as a result of the financial and economic crisis. At the same time, the report also observes that ratification of ILO Convention No. 181 on private employment agencies can help to promote Decent Work and ensure better functioning labour markets. The report - “Private employment agencies, temporary agency workers and their contribution to the labour market” - points to a direct correlation between economic growth and the state of the employment agency industry, with the strong performance and expansion seen during the boom years mirrored by the weakness and contraction of the industry today.The report will be discussed at a global tripartite meeting on October 20-21 at ILO headquarters titled “Workshop to promote ratification of the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181)”. Convention No. 181 balances enterprises’ needs for labour flexibility with workers’ needs for employment stability, a safe work environment, decent conditions of work and social security.
    22-October-2009 UPDATE 1-New US jobless claims rise, show soft labor market
    The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, data showed on Thursday, indicating the labor market remains fragile despite signs of economic revival. Initial claims for state jobless insurance increased 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 531,000 in the week ended Oct. 17 from a revised 520,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said, after declining for two consecutive weeks.
    22-October-2009 The amount paid in Social Security benefits in 2007 was 91 trillion yen, the largest amount ever due to an aging society
    According to the National Social Security and population problem think tank on the 22nd, the amount paid in social security benefits in 2007 reached 91.4305 trillion yen, the largest amount ever due to an aging society. The amount of paid will continue to increase if the DPJ set up an allowance for families with children and decrease medical payouts to seniors.
    20-October-2009 45% of companies hire people over the age of 65
    According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare on the 20th, 44.6% of companies hire people over the age of 65 who wish to work, a 5.6% increase from the previous year.
    19-October-2009 The GDP would increase 27% if the pay gap between men and women is removed
    EU presidency holder Sweden released the result of a study that showed removing the pay gap between men and women would increase the GDP about 27% in the EU.
    14-October-2009 Japanese Health Minister Nagatsuma decided to start "Pension Pass Book System" next year
    Japanese Health Minister Nagatsuma decided that they will start "Pension Pass Book System" next year. They will request its budget with the budgetary request of 2010. They will send a "Pension Pass Book" to every pensioner and every person enrolled in it.
    13-October-2009 The number of workers in nursing care and welfare industries have been increasing (Nikkei)
    The number of workers in nursing care and welfare industries have been increasing, it reached 2,910,000, an increase of 20,000 from 1 year before. It is because of the falling birthrate and the aging population that there has been a shortage of workers. But many people who lost their job in other industries joined in nursing and welfare industries. Jobs-to-applicants ratio in nursing industry is 1.33 and still need more people to work. The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare is planning to improve the employment conditions of nursing care and welfare industries to encourage more people to these industries.
    09-October-2009 Half of U.S. Babies Living Today May Reach 100
    If current life expectancy trends continue, more than half of babies born in rich nations since 2000 will live to 100 years of age, and they'll have less disability than elderly people in previous generations. That's the conclusion of researchers who found that increases in life expectancy evident in rich nations since 1840 show no signs of slowing. "The linear increase in record life expectancy for more than 165 years does not suggest a looming limit to human lifespan. If life expectancy were approaching a limit, some deceleration of progress would probably occur. Continued progress in the longest living populations suggests that we are not close to a limit, and further rise in life expectancy seems likely," Kaare Christensen, of the Danish Aging Research Center at the University of Southern Denmark, and colleagues wrote. Their study appears online Oct. 1 in The Lancet.
    09-October-2009 The unenployment rate improved to 5.7% in Australia
    According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate in September in Australia became 5.7%, a 0.1% decrease from the previous month. The number of part-time-workers increased 3 months in a row and the number of regular employee increased from the previous month for the 1st time in 5 months. It improved better than the market expected.
    07-October-2009 The number of families receiving public assistance increased to 1,440,000, the biggest number ever
    The number of families receiving public assistance increased to 1,148,766 an increase by 43,391 families (3.9%) from last year. According to a report of the administrative operations for social welfare by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, it revealed that the numbers over the past 8 years have continued to surpass the figures from each previous year. The government analyses revealed that it was because of the increase of the number of unemployed due to deteriorating employment conditions.
    06-October-2009 Japanese women's difficulty of raising children and working at the same time
    According to the results of a survey on managing to work and raise one's children at the same time over 4,110 people among the men and women with regular employee positions. The survey was carried out on February 19th and 20th in 2009 by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting commisioned by the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare. 96.2% of the men and 80.9% of the women were working as a regular employee. and 32.8% of the women were working as a non-permanent employee. 97.7% of the stay-at-home-moms answered that they have had work once and only 2.3% of them answered that they have never worked in their life.
    02-October-2009 Decrease in use of Employment Adjustment Subsidies in August
    According to the survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare on the 2nd, the number of companies which applied for Employment Adjustment Subsidies in August 2009 decreased by 3.7% from the previous month and the number of the companies became 79,922. The total number of employees who were supported by the subsidies decreased by 13.2 % from the previous month. The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare analyzed that there was Bon vacation in August so that there were not many companies which required more holidays to adjust employment.
    29-September-2009 57% of fixed-term employees get less than 2 million yen of annual income
    According to a survey about fixed-term employees by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on the 30th, 57% of fixed-term employees get less than 2 million yen of annual income.About 50% of them also have experienced lay-offs or lost their job unexpectedly due to no renewal of their contracts.
    29-September-2009 Extend the date to introduce the delivery assistance program
    Japanese Health and Labor Minister, Nagatsuma announced that they will extend the date to introduce the delivery assistance program to October. It was due to medical facilities’ delay of implementings
    27-September-2009 The Doctor Labor Union started a telephone counseling service
    The Doctor Labor Union started a telephone counseling service for working doctors on the 27th. There were 29 phone calls from working doctors who are suffering or under the fear of “Karoushi”, no pay during physical examinations, and working long hours
    24-September-2009 U.S. jobless claims slide in latest week (Reuters)
    The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell 21,000 last week, government data showed on Thursday, and a less volatile unemployment claims gauge dipped to an eight-month low.
    24-September-2009 Japanese Health Minister Nagatsuma said that he intends to introduce an allowance for all the families with children without income limitation (Nikkei)
    Japanese Health Minister Nagatsuma said that he has to introduce an allowance for families with children without any income limitation as it was planned and announced.
    23-September-2009 U.S. Aug mass layoffs rise, manufacturing worst hit (Reuters)
    The number of mass layoffs by U.S. employers rose by 533 in August from July, with the manufacturing sector the hardest hit, Labor Department data showed on Wednesday. The number of mass layoff actions -- defined as job cuts involving at least 50 people from a single employer -- rose to 2,690 last month, affecting 259,307 workers. That brought the total of mass layoffs so far this year to 21,184.
    18-September-2009 Japanese Health Minister Nagatsuma announced that they will ban the labor dispatch service to the manufacturing industry and investigate the pension issues by investigating all payment records again (Nikkei)
    Japanese Health Minister Nagatsuma said on 17th that he will ban dispatch service to manufacturing industry. Regarding the pension issues, he said that he will investigate the records of people already investigated by the former administration.
    16-September-2009 UK unions spark debate over high heels at work (Reuters UK)
    British unions set off a heated debate across the nation after passing a motion this week demanding that women have the right to wear comfortable shoes in the workplace. The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists introduced the motion asking employers to work in partnership with trade unions, staff, and local Health and Safety representatives to ensure that proper risk assessments are carried out, and where high heels are deemed a health risk, replaced with comfortable shoes.
    16-September-2009 Bernanke says recession is "very likely" over (Reuters)
    Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday that the worst U.S. recession since the Great Depression was probably over, but the recovery would be slow and it would take time to create new jobs."Even though from a technical perspective the recession is very likely over at this point, it's still going to feel like a very weak economy for some time," Bernanke said at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.
    14-September-2009 Japan Health Insurance Associations (Kyoukai Kenpo) announced that each insurance rate of 20 prefectures in Japan was increased
    Japan Health Insurance Associations (Kyoukai Kenpo) announced that each insurance rate of 20 prefectures in Japan was increased from September 2009.
    12-September-2009 70% of Cooperate Health Insurance Associations run their business in the red due to heavy medical expenses for elderly people
    The survey by National Federation of Health Insurance Societies showed that 70% of Cooperate Health Insurance Associations run their businesses in the red. The total current-account deficit of all the associations were 306 billion yen. It is due to the 420 billion yen increase of medical expenses for elderly people within a year.
    09-September-2009 The wage is not more than the previous company's
    According to the survey of employment conditions of 2008 by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, the rate of people who got their wage increased more than their previous job when they moved to their new jobs were 33.2 %, less than those people who got their wage decreased (33.5%). It has been 4 years since the last time that the rate of those people who got their wage decreased surpassed those people who got their wage increased. The result showed that employment conditions are still in a severe condition and the wage moderating effect is reflecting sluggish personal consumption.
    08-September-2009 Maintain the economy's recovery as the same as the previous month but changed the employment conditions to "the worst ever"
    A monthly assessment of the economy in September 2009 was submitted by the economic and fiscal policy minister, Mr. Hayashi on the 8th. According to the assessment, the economy's recovery from the depression is the same level as the last month but the unemployment rate reached 5.7%, the worst rate ever. The employment conditions are described as "become increasingly severe". It was described as "deteriorating rapidly and in a severe condition" last month.
    06-September-2009 8 companies a year received an administrative punishment banning the use of vehicles on business due to lack of social insurance
    The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has reported the status of use of the system of "administrative punishment banning the use of vehicles on business due to lack of social insurance" in the past 12 months. From the start of the system in July 2008 to June 2009, there were 8 companies punished, banning the use of vehicles on business due to lack of social insurance. There were 4 companies which did not have both social and labor insurances.
    04-September-2009 The number of unemployed among young people in advanced countries is increasing!
    The number of unemployed young people is increasing rapidly in advanced countries. ILO (Intearnational Labour Organization) announced their forecast that the unemployment rate among young people in advanced countries will be 16~18.7%. This result shows that it is 2 times higher than the average unemployment rate of all generations. The employment environment for young in advanced countries including Japan is deteriorating and it may influence consumer spending.
    02-September-2009 The number of employees decreased by 298,000 from the previous month
    According to the report by Automatic Data Processing (ADP) on September 2nd, the number of employees in the US decreased by 298,000 from the previous month. The rate of decrease was more than the average market expectation rate (213,000). The result was due to the finance industry and building industry's bad employment market.
    01-September-2009 Unemployment rate in Europe is at a high level-----9.5% in July
    The unemployment rate in 16 Europian countries in July was 9.5%, a 0.1% increase from the previous month, the highest rate since May 1999. The number of unemploymed in July reached 15,090,000, a 167,000 increase from the previous month. The economic conditions show signs of having bottomed out while there is still more deterioration in employment. Spain was 18.5%, the worst unemployment rate. Germany was 7.7%. France was 9.8%.
    31-August-2009 Eligibility requirements for the unemployment insurance will be changed
    Eligibility requirements for the unemployment insurance will be changed and the number of the eligible people will increase by 10,000,000. In the current program, people who works more than 40 hours in a week is able to join the unemployment insurance but dispatched workers who work more than 20 hours but less than 40 hours in a week need more than 6 months of the prospective employment term. Japanese government will change this " more than 6 months of the prospective employment term" into "more than 31 days" and people under the insurance can receive 45~80% of the wage if they actually worked more than 6 months. However, the concern is that the unemployment insurance will be also charged on employers and the insurance of the short-term contract employees can not be refunded.
    30-August-2009 The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare improved their system to provide the Employment Adjustment Subsidy
    The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare improved their system to provide the Employment Adjustment Subsidy. Currently, it often takes more than 2 months to provide the Employment Adjustment Subsidy. However, the Ministry will improve their investigation system to judge the applicants and all 47 prefectures will introduce the same investigation system.
    28-August-2009 Unemployment rate in Japan reached 5.7%, the worst rate since April 1953
    According to the announcement on 28th by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the unemployment rate in July reached 5.7%, the worst rate since April 1953 while the jobs-to-applicants ratio in July became 0.42, deterorated by 0.1% from June, hit the worst record for 3 straight months by the report from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare.
    27-August-2009 Hoshi Labor Consulting established business alliances with SANO certified tax accountant Ltd. (Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
    Hoshi Labor Consulting established business alliances with SANO certified tax accountant Ltd. (Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo). As being a partner of SANO, Hoshi Labor Consulting can provide our consulting service with better quality and trustworthy support.
    27-August-2009 Ended in a reconciliation :McDonald's overtime payment lawsuit
    4 shop managers of Japan McDonald's took legal action to Tokyo District Court and it was ended in a reconciliation. The original lawsuit from those shop managers was that Mcdonald's to pay 17,000,000 yen including unpaid overtime work charges.
    26-August-2009 Brazil settles on a 40 hour work week
    The Brazilian government announced that they will settle on a 40 hour work week, down from 44 hours without any wage cuts. They also will increase their overtime work rate from 50% to 75%.
    26-August-2009 A part of the revisions of the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act will be in effect from September 30th
    Japanese government announced that they decided to make a part of the revisions of the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act in effect from September 30th. The revisions which will be in effect from September 30th are as follows; 1) The Japanese government will publicize the company's name if the company lay off their employee who took Child-care leave. 2) force a company to pay administrative fines if the company filed a false report to the Labor Department.
    25-August-2009 Foreign Trainees are forced to work for low wages and long working hours
    The number of victims who are forced to work as foreign trainees for the illegally low wages and long working hours has been increasing. On August 7th, the family of the victim who died as a foreign trainee under illegally low wages and long working hours insisted that he died due to "karoushi" and applied for Workmen's Accident Compensation Insurance. It was the first case of a foreign trainee that applied for Workmen's Accident Compensation Insurance.
    25-August-2009 The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare released its annual White Paper on Labor
    The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare released its annual White Paper on Labor on the 25th. The title of the White paper on Labor in this year was "Self-support society for the stability of lifestyle and society". It said that important thing is to broaden the policies of employment and public welfare and make a complex safety net against these policies with concerns of today's deteriorating employment conditions. It also said that the number of non-regular employees who will not have thier contract renewed is expected to reach 229,000 by the end of September. The number of welfare recipients was dramatically increased from last fall. The % of single-mother family's employment rate fell sharply. With these situations, the white paper appeals for the necessity of integrating the policies using Unemployment insurances and Hello Work (job-placement office) and the necessity of the welfare policies and to put them in execution.
    24-August-2009 The number of newly employed from January to July 2009 was 6,660,000 in China
    The Chinese government announced that the number of newly employed people was 6,660,000 and the number of reemployed was 3,150,000. The number of newly employed people on July was 970,000. The employment situation in China has been improving.
    21-August-2009 More than 10% of regular employees are more than 60 years old
    The number of employees who are more than 60 years old has increased to more than 10%, a 2.4 increase from the previous survey in 2004.
    19-August-2009 Only 1.23% of men had taken child-care leave in 2008
    According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, only 1.23% of men had taken child-care leave in 2008. It showed that men do not take child-care leave due to their concerns about their job position after their come back. The 1.23% was calculated based on the number of the employees who give birth or whose wives give birth for a year by the end of March 2008 and began to take their child-care leaves by October 1st in the same year. The target % of the men who take child-care leave proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is 10%. But the reality is that the % of the men who actually took child-care leave was between 0~1% while the % of women's actual taken child-care leave has been increasing and now it is 90.6%.
    19-August-2009 The number of non-regular employees from April to June 2009 decreased by 470,000, the highest decrease rate since 2003
    According to the labor force survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of non-regular employees became 16,850,000, a 470,000 decrease from the previous quarter. It was the highest decrease rate since 2003. It showed that non-regular employees are used as adjusting valves in many companies.
    17-August-2009 A 4.7% decrease, the worst wage decrease between April and June 2009 due to the decrease of summerThe wages between April and June 2009 marked the worst decrease since the end of World War II. The average wage which is based on the GDP statistics was a 4.7% decrease compared to last year's. It was the worst decrease since 1956.
    17-August-2009 US recovery is in view, but struggles persist (AFP)
    The US economy appears poised to emerge from recession but will struggle for some time, held back by a weak job market and cautious consumers, analysts say. The world's biggest economy is giving mixed signals as the manufacturing sector picks up and the housing market shows signs of steadying but retail sales remain sluggish. The latest data showed gross domestic product (GDP) -- the broad measure of the economy's activity -- fell at an annualized rate of 1.0 percent in the second quarter, after a 6.4 percent plunge in the January-March period. Unemployment dipped in July to 9.4 percent, one-tenth point lower than the 26-year high hit in June as job losses narrowed to 247,000. But US retail sales unexpectedly dipped 0.1 percent in July with consumers pulling back despite rising auto sales stimulated by the government's "Cash for Clunkers" trade-in incentives. A widely watched survey of consumer sentiment, a harbinger of spending trends, showed Americans remain wary of the economic outlook.
    10-August-2009 The average ratio of personnel expenses of home-healthcare provider s is 99.4%
    According to the survey of the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, it showed that the ratio of personnel expenses of home-healthcare providers is 99.4%, the highest ratio in the care management industry while its ratio of visiting nursing-care providers is 81.5% and its ratio of the visiting bath service providers is 78%.
    10-August-2009 The reality of the usage of the subsidy for the job training program
    The reality of the usage for the subsidy for the job training program is to cover up personnel costs but not for the job training program in most of the cases. According to Kanagawa Labor Department, the number of the companies receiving job training subsidies was 9,169 and the number of their employees was more than 530,000.
    07-August-2009 The unemployment rate of the US in July improved to 9.4%
    According to the US government’s employment statistics, the unemployment rate in June improved by 0.1% and became 9.4%. The number of employees decreased by 247,000 but the decreasing speed became slower compared to the previous month’s. The number of unemployed became less than the market forecast, which was 9.6% and 325,000.
    03-August-2009 The total number of unemployed people in Japan, Europe and the US became 33 million, a 60% increase from March 2008
    The total number of unemployed people in Japan, Europe, and the US surpassed 30 million, a 12 millions increase from March 2008. The cause was the adjustment of employment due to the financial crash and the economic recessions. There seems to be some recovery in the economy, but a certain recovery is still unclear due to the bad employment situation.
    03-August-2009 Average wage in June 2009 was cut by 7.1% from last year
    The wage cut is taking a toll on family finances. According to the Monthly Labor Survey compliled by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average wage amount in all industries was about 430,620 yen. It was the worst fall due to the big bonus decrease after 1990.
    01-August-2009 Price-cutting War (Mainichi)
    There seems to be no stop of price decrease among a wide range of products. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ announcement on July 31st, national consumer price index in June was down by 1.7%, even worse than last month’s. The unemployment rate in June was 5.4%. The deterioration of the employment situation resulted in a sluggish consumption. Price-cutting War will result in impoverished companies and worse economy deflation.
    31-July-2009 Unemployment rate became 5.4%, worst rate since June 2003
    According to the labor force survey by Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the unemployment rate in June was 5.4%, 0.2 increase from the previous month. It is the same as the one in June 2003. The survey shows a rapid deterioration of employment situation.
    29-July-2009 The Japanese government upgraded the economic outlook for the 1st time in 5 years (ASAHI)
    The Department of Treasury announced economic affairs in each area of Japan from April to June 2009. 10 out of 11 areas of the economic affairs in Japan upgraded compared to the one from January to March 2009. They judge in comprehensive manner as "There seems some recovery and partially bottoming out, but the economy is still in a severe condition". It was 5 years and 3 months since they upgraded their economy outlook. However, the employment situation in all areas is still severe and it resulted in a sluggish personal consumption.
    28-July-2009 No raise of minimum wage in 35 prefectures
    The Central Minimum Wages Council announced that they will not raise the minimum wage for 35 prefectures, but it will raise other 12 prefectures to exceed welfare payment. The result shows that the average raise was about 7 to 9 yens, which is lower than last year's ( The average raise last year was 16 yens). It also showed that they make employment opportunities their top priority other than raising the minimum wage.
    27-July-2009 Unemployment rate in Japan can surpass 5.5%, the worst rate since the end of World War II
    Even though the Japanese government announced the bottoming out of the economy, there is no stop to the deteriorating employment in Japan. Companies are not hiring many employees because the future of the economy is still unclear. Some economists predict that the employment rate can surpass 5.5%, the worst rate since the end of World War II. Japanese government is going to be forced to take prompt actions and more measures for improving the employment situation.
    26-July-2009 The number of employment of 20's and 30's have increased among the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries
    According to a survey of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, the number of employment among agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries has increased while employment among other industries reached its worst rate due to the economic crash.
    24-July-2009 The number of employees, who resign under pressure, working for foreign companies in Japan is increasing
    "You are not allowed to enter the company any more."-----The compulsory retirements among employees who work for foreign companies in Japan are increasing. The labor union which has many members from such foreign companies said that " Japanese Labor Standard Act" also applies to foreign companies in Japan. The law never allows them to dismiss employees due to an unreasonable reason.
    22-July-2009 There are some signs that the deflation of employees' wages will increase. Additionally, the US economy's recovery is still uncertain
    FRB sees some recovery of US economy though the market is still weak for labor and there is still possibility of deflation in employees' wage. The economy might recover without an increase in employment. The wage deflation might induce a severe mood in the market as there will be less hope for a consumption-led recovery.Due to FRB's aggressive financial policy and large scale economic stimulus policy, it has worked out very well so far. It appears that the economy is not far away from a recovery, though the economy will not recover without an increase in consumer spending.
    21-July-2009 Japanese children are in danger !!
    According to a survey conducted by the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry, 30,000 children, which is 6.5% of single mother families do not have health insurance. Instead of going to the hospital, they go to the nurse's office in school. There are concerns about declines in academic ability and physical strength. A different survey showed that 1 out of 3 children in elementary school in Japan feel that "the effort will not pay off in this country".
    18-July-2009 "Report of dispatched workers' status" was officially published by defense counsel
    "Nihon Roudou Bengodan" (labor defense counsel in Japan) published "report of dispatched workers' status" officially on the 17th. Although all revisions of "Worker Dispatch Law" submitted by the government and 3 opposition parties will be scrapped, the defense counsel announced this report officially and demaded a revision of the current "Worker Dispatched Law". This report contains 71 cases that the defense counsel picked out of counselings with dispatched workers.
    16-July-2009 The most important challenge for a labor union is an expansion of the union
    According to actual condition survey of labor unions by the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry, 30% of labor unions in Japan work on an expansion of unions. About 20% ofthe unions accept part-time employees as members of the unions. This shows that most of the unions think full-time employees are more important than other employees.
    15-July-2009 According to Obama, increase of the unemployment rate will continute for sometime
    According to President Obama, the unemployment rate will continue to increase for sometime while confirming a certain economic recovery. Obama told that he is not sure that the economic growth will have any reflect on the employment situations.
    14-July-2009 According to monthly economic report, there are some visible signs of economic recovery over the past 3 months
    The government announced on 13th that there are some visible signs of economic recovery. It was 7 years and 3 months ago that the government revised the Japanese economy to improve conditions. However,the forecast is still unforeseeable due to the concerns about economic deterioration. The current economic report is better than previous ones.
    14-July-2009 There is a possibility for an economic recovery without the recovery of the current employment situation
    Senator Shelby told CNBC TV on an interview that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke answered the question of the possibility of an economic growth without the recovery of the employment situations. Bernanke stated that "It is possible."
    12-July-2009 Actual Japanese unemployment rate is 9%, about the same level as the US's
    The unemployment rate announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications was 5.2%, 0.2% up from the previous month. Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry announced that jobs-to-applicants ratio became 1:2.27, the worst ever. While various economic indicators show recovery, the employment situation is still in the bad condition. Professor of Waseda University said that the employment rate in Japan actually reached 9.2%, if counted grant-aided employees on break due to no business.
    09-July-2009 Unemployment rate in Australia decreased more than expected in June (Reuters)
    Employment rate in Australia decreased had the highest decrease in 3 months, reaching the highest unemployment rate in 6 years. Companies laid off their full-time employees to cut down on costs. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of employees decreased by 21,400 from the previous month and the unemployment rate reached 5.8%. Number of full-time employees decreased by 21,900, while the number of part-time employees increased by 400.
    08-July-2009 Bicycle industry can employ 4.5 time as many employees as the car industy can
    According to the French environment ministry's investigation, if people ride bicycles often, traffic jam issues decrease, and employment opportunities and tourism revenues increase. After the city of Paris introduced the bicycle rental system called Velib, there was a bicycle boom in France. The amount of sales of bicycles in France reached 1.43 billion Euros and the number of employees in bicycle industry reached 10,400. Employment effect on the sales is 4.5 times higher than that of the car industry's one.
    07-July-2009 Effect from rapid production adjustment --- left much concern on employment and people's income
    According to the announcement of Bank of Japan (Sakura Report), Japanese economy shows some improvement all over the country. These improvements, though, resulted from the government's economic stimulus package and the backlash against the steep economic fall since last fall. The economy's continuous recovery is still uncertain.
    06-July-2009 The number of claims of mental disease caused by work has been increasing
    The number of workers that were given workmen's compensation due to suffering from mental disorders reached 269 in 2008, the highestt number so far. The mental disorders resulted from long working hours and power harrassment. 377 workers that suffered from brain and cardiac disease wer given workmen's compensation. These results reflect current work place's conditions.
    03-July-2009 The number of employees in the US decreased 460,000, an increase in the rate again. Unemployment rate reaches 9.5%
    According to the US Department of Labor, employment rate in June showed that the number of employees of non-agricultural workers in the US decreased by 467,000 persons from last month. The rate was worse than the market's forecast. Unemployment rate became 9.5%, a 0.1% deterioration from previous month.
    2-July-2009 According to Bank of Japan's survey, there are still surpluses in employment and capacity investment
    According to Bank of Japan's quarterly short-term economic survey, companies are apt to reduce investment in factories and equipment, and consider laying off employees, while big companies in Japan began to see their businesses improve. The improvement of the export and production does not reflect domestic demand and small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, there are some concerns that the economic recovery this time will not continue very long.
    1-July-2009 Proposal for revision of Immigrant Control and Refugee Recognition Law : Foreign residence card system for foreigners who stay in Japan
    For ID purposes as substitute for a current alien registration card, there are proposals for revision of Immigrant Control and Refugee Recognition Law so that foreign residents in Japan should always carry their foreign residence card as their ID cards in Japan. It is now under the debate in the Upper House Judicial Affairs Committee.

    News from April-2009 to June-2009
    MENU
    About Us