The JIL Labor Flash Vol.40
Email Journal 15.04.2003
Statistical Reports
Recent Statistical Survey Reports
Current Topics
Regular wages drop for the first time in 2002
Public Policies
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare launches programs to promote
employment revival and for re-hiring laid-off employees
News Clippings
Top management stress harsh economic situation in addresses at
ceremonies welcoming new employees ...etc
Special Issue
Welfare sectors that people regard as being important
Statistical Reports
-Recent Statistical Survey Reports March 2003-
http://www.jil.go.jp/estatis/esaikin/2003/e2003-03.htm
Features
Survey on Labor Economy Trends (February 2003)
Survey on Paid Holiday
Nationwide Survey on the Actual Condition of Homeless People
Current Topics
-Regular wages drop for the first time in 2002-
A preliminary report on the 2002 Basic Statistical Survey of the
Wage Structure, published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,
showed that the average wage of regular workers (regular wage excluding
bonus and overtime allowances) was 302,600 yen, the first year-on-year
decline (by 1.0%) posted since the current survey format was established
in 1976.
By sex, male workers earned an average of 336,200 yen, down 1.3%
over the previous year, and female workers earned an average of 223,600
yen, up 0.5% over the previous year.
Some of the reasons for women's wages not falling may include
increased numbers of female college graduates and the declining share
of women engaged in the manufacturing sector, where low wages tend to
be the norm.
The survey also revealed that men's age- and class-specific wages
have plunged to 1997 levels.
The average hourly wage of male part-time workers also decreased
by 3.7% over the previous year to 991 yen, dropping below the 1,000
-yen mark for the first time in 12 years.
In terms of wages by corporate scale, moreover, male workers employed
at large companies earned 391,200 yen (average age: 40.5; number of
years of service: 16.7), those working at medium-scale companies earned
328,800 yen (average age: 40.6; years of service: 13.1), and those
working at small-scale companies earned 292,800 yen (average age:
42.1; years of service: 10.9). The average wage for women, meanwhile,
was 251,500 yen for large companies (average age: 35.6; years of
service: 10), 225,100 yen for medium-scale companies (average age:
37.2; number of years of work: 8.4), and 202,600 yen for small-scale
companies (average age: 40.2; years of service: 8.5).
The survey, investigating wages over six months of every year, is
a compilation of the responses sent in by approximately 1 million
workers employed at approximately 42,000 private-sector businesses
in 9 industrial categories and consistently employing ten or more
individuals.
1US$≒\120 (April 2003)
Public Policies
-Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare launches programs to promote
employment revival and for re-hiring laid-off employees-
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare plans to vigorously
promote an employment assistance program targeting individuals who
were forced to leave their jobs because of corporate bankruptcies or
employment readjustments that occurred as a result of the disposal
of nonperforming loans.
The program was drawn up as part of the comprehensive deflationary
measures decided by the government in October 2002. A series of schemes
had already been fully launched in February.
The program has two pillars. One is the concentrated assistance
program for re-employment that encourages individuals who have left
their jobs to become reemployed as soon as possible. The other is a
special incentive granted to regional businesses that employ such
individuals. This is a program to create jobs in support of business
start-ups.
Under the concentrated assistance program for re-employment, if an
enterprise owner who meets set requirements submits to the Labor Bureau
their information on employment adjustment, including the number of
employees subject to employment adjustment (resignations, transfers
to affiliates, or layoffs), the date of implementation, labor union
consent, and others, enterprise owners become eligible to receive
various forms of assistance. The result is an integrated government
-public sector support system.
Under the support program set up for employees who have left their
jobs, an enterprise owner who directly hires such individuals will
receive a subsidy amounting to 600,000 to 700,000 yen per employee.
An enterprise owner hiring such individuals on a trial basis will
also receive a monthly subsidy of 50,000 yen per person (for 3 months).
In the event of such individuals being hired on a full-time basis,
a subsidy totaling 450,000 to 550,000 yen will be provided per person.
Moreover, the Reemployment Assistance Measures Utilizing the Private
Sector, which have now been newly incorporated, would allow individuals
to receive reemployment assistance services efficiently by making use
of, among others, private-sector job placement offices.
Under the system of special incentives granted to regional businesses
that employ laid-off workers, entities that set up a business that
contributes economically to a local area and that hires 3 or more non
-voluntary unemployed individuals as full-time employees becomes eligible
to receive (1) part of their business start-up expenses (3 million to
5 million yen, maximum, depending on the number of people it employs),
and (2) incentives for hiring workers (300,000 to 600,000 yen per person).
News Clippings
-Top management stress harsh economic situation in addresses at
ceremonies welcoming new employees-
On April 1, most major companies held their newcomer orientation
ceremonies, at which top managers customarily speak directly to their
new employees. Almost all the CEOs stressed how harsh the business
environment was, or encouraged new employees to become productive
members of the workforce as quickly as possible. Here are some of the
Presidents' messages: "If you have two options, go for the harder one.
This is what the 'challenging spirit' is all about." (Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries), "Rather than being a house dog that is dependent
on their owner, try to become a tough, lone wolf that roams the
wilderness." (Toyobo Co.), "We look for high-spirited boys and girls
who are not afraid to demonstrate their individuality. We also welcome
with open arms 'eccentric' people who are not bound by conventional
ways." (Suntory), "Young people are the primary engines that drive
Chinese and other Asian companies; remember that you will be competing
with them." (NEC), and "Open your window; the world outside is really
vast." (Toyota Motor).
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, April)
-Female managerial candidates to undergo individual training and
guidance-
Sumitomo 3M, a company engaged in the R&D and commercialization of
technologies related to microstructured surfaces, adhesion/bonding,
nonwoven fabric, films, and fluorochemicals, has introduced a mentoring
system. Under this system, one business department director is appointed
to serve as mentor to one female managerial candidate. The aims are to
increase opportunities for women to acquire the knowledge and skills
necessary to become managers, and to rapidly increase the share of
female managers from the current 1% to 10%, which is the share of
female workers in the workforce. The system may draw interest as a
new method for fostering female executives, whose numbers have not
increased as expected in various industries.
Although Sumitomo 3M does not impose different conditions on men
and women for promotion to managerial posts, it only has between 10
and 15 female managers. The company admits that they have been slow
to foster female managers because female workers had no ideal role
models within the company. Sumitomo 3M hopes that, if the number of
female managers increases, it can boost the morale of their female
employees overall.
Other corporations in Japan are beginning to follow suit and are
introducing this type of mentor system for fostering female managers
as well as other purposes.
(Nihon Keizai Shimbun, March)
Special Issue
-Welfare sectors that people regard as being important-
According to the results of the National Survey on Lifestyle
Preferences carried out by the Cabinet Office, of the ten welfare
sectors set up, including education/culture, life in the regional
community, and equity/social security, the sectors which the
respondents cited as important were medical treatment/insurance,
income and consumption, and workers' life, in that order.
The respondents also cited these items, in exactly the same order,
as sectors that they wanted to be covered by national and/or municipal
policies.
Continued on;
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/archives/emm/2001-2003/2003a/vol.40/welfaresectors.htm
