 'Quality of labor' worsens: 2004 White Paper on labor and economyFalling wages, widening household income gaps, increasing long hours of work for full-time workers, a rise in the number of part-time workers, widespread mental disorders caused by overwork, worsening workplace environments, and increasing employment insecurity -- these are the main features in the 2004 White Paper on Labor and Economy published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on September 10. "Quality of labor" is in decline, the White Paper showed. Akahata on September 11 pointed out that behind these phenomena is cutbacks in the number of full-time workers and an increase in unstable employment as part of corporate restructuring. The White Paper emphasized that the urgent task is to improve the "quality of labor (job satisfaction, better wages, and decent working hours)" in order to overcome the prolonged downturn in the level of satisfaction with work. As a result of increasing outsourcing, the number of temporary workers increased to 2.13 million in the FY2002, up 610,000 from the FY1995. About 520,000 young people between 15 and 34 were without a job and not even looking for a job, an increase of 40,000 from the previous year. The number of non-regular workers, including part timers and temps, increased by 80,000 to 2.17 million from the previous year. Cutbacks in hiring and restructuring schemes caused these results, the White Paper concluded. The White Paper criticized companies for seeking only experienced workers, saying that in order to improve sustainable productivity, it is important to develop human abilities, not to reduce the workforce. It also called for a long-term vision to ensure future vocational capabilities. Seeking a short-term achievement or hiring human resources from outside while neglecting in-house personnel will result in a deterioration of human resource development in society, it warned. The White Paper, however, failed to question the social responsibility of corporations that aggravated the employment situation and labor conditions, reported Akahata. (end) |