Japan Press Weekly

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2009 November 11 - 17 TOP3 [LABOR]

40% of unemployed out of work for more than six months

In order to understand the real situation of the unemployed, the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) asked its local member unions across the nation to conduct a questionnaire survey in front of the building housing the Hello Work Office (Public Employment Security Office). Zenroren received 2,028 responses as of October 31. Among them, 46% are 50 years old and over and 34.7% are under 40 years old.

Dismissals, bankruptcies, and termination of employment before workers’ contracts expire account for 40.4% of the reasons for losing jobs. 19.2% of respondents said that companies had forced them to quit jobs voluntarily although companies had laid them off. This clearly shows companies’ arrogance.

Most contingent workers can receive unemployment insurance benefits only for 90 days. Extending the term of benefit payments is an urgent demand.

The fact that 16.4% of the unemployed are ineligible for unemployment benefits indicates the need to extend the unemployment insurance coverage to more workers. The rate of those who receive the benefits is only 47.4%.

As for what they want, 57% answered that they want to urgently find a job. Others demanded that the government prolong the term of unemployment insurance benefit payments, improve public support for finding a job, and prevent companies from dismissing workers.

Commenting on the survey result, Zenroren Secretary General Odagawa Yoshikazu said, “The survey result illustrates how severe the employment situation is. The government is required to take measures to make a recovery in the employment situation. Our urgent task is to urge big companies to stop cutting jobs and terminating workers’ contracts before their contract term ends, and to fulfill their corporate responsibility for creating jobs.”
- Akahata, November 12, 2009