(Selected information on social & labour developments in Japan)
January 2002
Employment through private employment agencies increased by 1.5%
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare revealed in its report published on 11 January 2002 that 300,000 persons found jobs through private employment agencies, up by 1.5% from the previous year. There were 1.17 job applicants, against 980,000 job openings. The number of private employment agencies increased by 5,200, up by 22.5%.
Average unemployment rate for 2001 marked an all-time high
The average unemployment rate for 2001 rose by 0.3 percentage points to 5.0%, according to the preliminary figures released on 29 January 2002. It is the first time that the annual figure reached 5%. The average unemployed for 2001 was 3.4 million and marked the highest ever figure. The most recent unemployment rate for December 2001 was 5.6%. The figure went up for four consecutive months. The average active job opening ratio, another index that reflects labour market demand and supply, was 0.59, approximately the same from the previous year. The average number of job openings per month rose by 4.2%, whereas average monthly job seekers rose by 3.6%. The active job opening ratio for December 2001 stood at 0.51, falling for six consecutive months.
Annual salary system
The Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development released a report on 31 January 2002 concerning changes in the personnel management system in Japan. This is the fifth report on this topic, the first one conduced in 1996. The report reveals that approximately 40% of the companies with more than 1,000 employees had introduced annual salary schemes. The average rate was 34.8% in all companies surveyed, rising by 9.6 points from the previous survey. The survey was conducted to 339 listed companies.
Vice Ministers appointed
Two Vice Ministers were appointed in January 2002 at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Mr. Kazuaki Miyaji, born in 1940 began his career as an official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry. After being elected to the House of Representatives, he held various posts, including member of committees in the House, addressing the society and labour, welfare, agriculture. Ms. Yasu Kanoo was born in 1935. She had been a member of the mediation committee in the family court and a probation officer of Mito District. After being elected to the House of Councilors in 1992, she held various posts within the House and the Liberal Democratic Party, and had been appointed Parliamentary Vice Ministers of the Environment (1995) and Education, Science and Culture (1998).
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(Purpose of the news flash is to provide readers with rough idea of social and labour developments in Japan. It is not an official document of the ILO. The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the ILO concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the ILO, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of disapproval.)