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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Increase in temps

A Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry's survey published on September 16 shows that the number of temporary workers increased after the 2004 deregulation that lifted a ban on the use of temporary workers in the manufacturing industry.

Thirty-two percent of business establishments, including companies, factories, and shops, said that they hire temporary workers, and 48 percent of them answered that the number of temporary workers increased in the last year.

Reasons for hiring temporary workers are: to immediately fill vacant positions (74%), to deal with the temporary increase in operations (50%), and to curb the number of regular workers (23%). Business entities increasingly hire temps for the purpose of personnel cost savings. -- Akahata, September 17, 2005