Can the emergency package of job security and industrial competitiveness measures endorsed by the government Friday help jolt the country out of record-high unemployment?
It can, at least in the short run, but the plan lacks a clear-cut long-range vision for promoting growth businesses that will, in turn, facilitate job mobility in the private sector.
With the government of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi desperate to prevent the precarious situation from deteriorating further, Friday's comprehensive scheme calls for both the central and local governments to play an active role in creating employment opportunities.