No more deaths in the prime of life -- Akahata editorial, August 24In Japan about 20 people take their own lives every day in despair. Unemployment, a slump in business, mounting debts, and financial difficulty are major reasons. Some found their future shattered by corporate restructuring that forced them out of work, and others found themselves unable to continue to operate their firms.
31,042 people killed themselves during 2001. For four consecutive years, the number of suicides has exceeded 30,000. About 40 percent of those who commit suicide are in their 40s and 50s.
Rising unemployment rate prompts more workers to kill themselves
There may be various factors that drive people into ending their lives themselves, but it is important to note that the number of people who commit suicide because of financial difficulty is rising. It was 6,845 last year, the largest ever.
The number of children whose parents have killed themselves is estimated at 120,000. Breadwinner suicides cause unbearable financial and mental pain to their families.
Among the 18 major countries, Japan ranks fourth in the number of suicides per 100,000 people.
Why is the number of people who kill themselves in financial despair increasing in the world's second largest economy? The rise in bankruptcies and job losses are major factors.
The yearly number of suicides jumped to 30,000 in 1998, when the Hashimoto Cabinet took measures that slowed down the nation's economy and pushed up the unemployment rate to four percent. The government at the time took measures to force the people to pay nine trillion yen more.
It is particularly important to note that the Koizumi Cabinet's "structural reform" that aimed at realizing a "competitive society" led by market forces has forced many more people out of jobs and many more companies out of business.
We must pay special attention to the that fact the number of suicides is rapidly increasing among workers that include young workers afflicted with overwork.
In 2001, there were 31 cases of suicide from mental disorders apparently caused by long working hours and stress, up 16 from the previous year.
In a survey 5.5 percent of the respondents said they have thought of killing themselves.
The number of those who commit suicide to escape overwork is rising against the background of an increasingly heavier workload as a result of cost-cutting corporate restructuring. Many workers are forced to work overtime or even give up holidays.
What's more, workers are driven into a competition for better ratings for their job performance, although their wages and jobs are increasingly unstable.
The corporate principle of putting profit first without regard for employees' safety must be ended.
The Supreme Court has ruled that corporations have the duty to take care of their employees' health.
Urgent need to establish measures to prevent suicide
Those whose parents committed suicide are now calling for a study of suicides and a release of related data, which will be used for the prevention of suicide that should include the establishment of a social safety net. (end)