The JIL Labor Flash Vol.49
Email Journal 01.09.2003
Statistical Reports
Main Labor Economic Indicators
Current Topics
Utilization of vocational colleges to assist young free-lancers
become socially independent
Public Policies
Social Insurance Agency moves to enforce the collection of national
pension premiums
News Clippings
Itochu aims to make half of its board directors women and non
-Japanese nationals ...etc
Special Issue
Prospects for the LDP presidential election, dissolution of the
Lower House and the general election
Statistical Reports
-Main Labor Economic Indicators August 2003-
http://www.jil.go.jp/estatis/eshuyo/200308/econtents.htm
Current Topics
-Utilization of vocational colleges to assist young free-lancers
become socially independent-
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
(MEXT) has decided to launch programs to assist the approximately two
million youths in Japan who have not taken regular jobs after graduating
from schools. It will draw up and implement a "re-education program"
that makes utilizes vocational colleges. The aim is to have these
youths acquire, during a short period, the knowledge and skills
necessary for acquiring full-time jobs.
Specifically, in FY2004, MEXT will select 56 vocational colleges
throughout Japan that provide practical vocational education to high
school graduates for a period of one to four years, and commission
them to develop educational programs in information technology,
welfare, biotechnology, among other subjects. MEXT will then spend
the next year investigating how effective the programs are by studying
the curriculum and implementing it on a test basis, with the advice
of corporate and academic personnel. Based on the results of these
pilot programs, MEXT will encourage other vocational colleges throughout
Japan to take up these programs, thereby putting a stop to the growing
number of unemployed persons.
There are many youths who, although seeking full-time work, are
forced to resort to taking up piecemeal work due to a lack of knowledge
or skills.
This program is part of the Plan to Encourage Youth's Independence
and Challenges which was compiled by the government in June. Another
program MEXT is planning to introduce next fiscal year is a Japanese
-style "dual system." Unlike internship programs where participants
undergo training in corporations, those participating in the dual
system will be able to acquire knowledge and skills while working in
a company and receiving a salary.(Reference: JLF Vol.45/Public Policies)
In addition, MEXT plans to designate model regions where the entire
community will engage in career education to enhance youth's vocational
awareness and perceptions of work and careers.
Public Policies
-Social Insurance Agency moves to enforce the collection of national
pension premiums-
In past issues, on frequent occasions it has been discussed how the
lingering depression, the declining number of children, and the growing
elderly population have increased social security costs, straining
various labor insurance finances and forcing society to come up with
immediate solutions to these serious problems.
Generally speaking, Japan's universal pension insurance coverage
is made possible with the following three programs: employees' pensions
which all corporate employees must subscribe to, in principle (the
burden of premium payments is split evenly between labor and management);
mutual aid pensions targeting public employees; and public pensions
to which the rest of the people subscribe.
Continued on;
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/archives/emm/2001-2003/2003b/vol.49/nationalpension.html
News Clippings
-Itochu aims to make half of its board directors women and non
-Japanese nationals-
Itochu Corporation unveiled a plan to establish an in-house committee
to study hiring and promoting more women and non-Japanese employees.
This is seen as an attempt by the company to promote employees
regardless of nationality, age or gender, as a means of reinvigorating
the corporate structure. At present, the company has no female or
foreign employee ranked at the level of division director or higher,
and only several section managers. When it comes to employing women
and foreigners, Itochu is lagging behind companies in the manufacturing
and other sectors.
Itochu President Niwa's aim is that in ten years' time, half of the
current 11 board directors will be made up of women and non-Japanese
employees.
(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, August)
-Kadokawa Shoten to completely abolish seniority-based wage system-
Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd. will completely abolish its
employees' seniority-based wage system in October. Instead, it will
introduce a system whereby wages increase or decrease depending on the
"ranking" of employees determined independently of seniority or number
of years of service, as well as by employee performance. The system
will be applied to general employees. Bonuses will be linked 100% to
employee performance. The company has already introduced an annual
salary structure for employees in managerial positions and will
completely eliminate the seniority-based wage system.
Kadokawa is the first major publishing company to reexamine its
seniority-based wage system, including the abolition of periodic pay
rises whereby salary increases according to age, although similar moves
are becoming more common among manufacturers including Honda Motor.
(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, August)
Special Issue
-Prospects for the LDP presidential election, dissolution of the Lower
House and the general election-
Japanese prime ministers are not chosen directly by public referendum.
Instead, they are selected through a mutual vote of Diet members, with
the president of the ruling party usually being nominated the Prime
Minister.
The election to determine the president of the Liberal Democratic
Party, planned for September 20, will be the third one for Prime Minister
Koizumi since he took office. Interest is currently focused on who the
opposing candidate will be, and whether or not Koizumi will be re-elected.
Although special dynamics come into play in LDP presidential elections,
at the moment, the name of a formidable rival yet to surface.
Continued on;
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/archives/emm/2001-2003/2003b/vol.49/generalelection.html
