Social Issues Sep 24, 2016
The future looks bleak for Yokohama's day laborers
by Tim Hornyak
Once a bustling town of casual workers, Kotobukicho is now a community of aging welfare recipients.
Economy Apr 4, 2016
Trump's 'massive recession' forecast stumps economists
Donald Trump’s prediction that the U.S. economy was on the verge of a “very massive recession” hit a wall of skepticism on Sunday from economists who questioned the Republican presidential front-runner’s calculations. In a wide-ranging interview with the Washington Post published on Saturday, the ...
Media | MEDIA MIX Apr 2, 2016
Job-hunting students may be in for a shock when they arrive at their new company
by Philip Brasor
It’s spring, and the attention of journalists in Japan turns to new university graduates who will soon become productive members of society. In recent years, the recruitment dance has merited closer scrutiny. Even as the labor situation has become a seller’s market, issues persist ...
Economy Mar 15, 2016
30 U.S. states log January job growth while 20 see cuts
Employers stepped up hiring in 30 states in January, led by big gains in Florida, Texas and North Carolina, while 20 states shed jobs. The unemployment rate fell in 28 states, rose in eight and was unchanged in 14. The unemployment rate doesn’t always ...
Economy Mar 1, 2016
Unemployment rate fell to 3.2% in January
Japan’s unemployment rate in January registered its lowest level in three months, falling to 3.2 percent from 3.3 percent the previous month and reflecting a continuation of the tight labor market, the government said Tuesday. Separate data showed the country’s job availability improved to ...
Business Feb 29, 2016
Strains show in China's factory heartland
Millions of migrant workers streaming back to China’s industrial heartland after the long lunar New Year break face an uncertain future as smaller factories in particular struggle to cope with anaemic orders and rising inventories. In the Pearl River Delta, the “world’s workshop” in ...
Media | BIG IN JAPAN Feb 13, 2016
One slip can sink a salaryman's career
by Michael Hoffman
‘I’ve always been shy,” says Kazuo. “Face-to-face communication never came easily to me.” At 48, he’s been out of work five years. He lives with his mother, who’s close to 80 — mostly off her pension. A typical day — typical not only of ...
Economy Jun 18, 2015
Yellen signals Fed rate hike this year but mum on timing
The U.S. central bank indicated Wednesday it is likely to raise the ultralow interest rates later this year although its policy-setting panel gave no new words regarding exactly when it could take place. “Clearly most participants are anticipating that a rate increase this year ...
Global-related Jun 9, 2015
You don't have to go quietly when you're laid off
by Ted Rall
All too often, U.S. companies abuse immigration regulations by replacing American employees with low-cost foreign workers on HB-1 visas.
Global-related Jun 8, 2015
Worrying plight of the young and unemployed
by Robert J. Samuelson
Advanced economies must try to promote a sense of purposefulness and self-reliance for their bloated pools of disengaged youth.
Global-related Apr 12, 2015
Robots leave behind Chinese factory workers
by Adam Minter
Chinese factory owners are increasingly turning to automation, leaving millions of low-skill workers with an uncomfortable sense of impending obsolescence.
Economy Mar 19, 2015
Fed cuts forecast for unemployment rate over long run, signaling caution in raising rates
The Federal Reserve forecasts that the U.S. unemployment rate can now fall further without spurring inflation, a sign that it may move slowly in raising interest rates. Fed officials reduced their estimate of the unemployment rate that they think is consistent with a healthy ...