FUJIYOSHIDA, Yamanashi Pref. -- The Japan Federation of Employers' Associations (Nikkeiren) called on the central government Thursday to implement a 1 trillion yen emergency employment scheme to help cope with rising unemployment.
According to the three-year scheme, adopted by business leaders during Nikkeiren's summer seminar here, the central and local governments would utilize the fund to offer 1 million short-term jobs and various job-training programs.
Nikkeiren will demand the national government include the plan in its supplementary budget for this fiscal year -- if one is drawn up -- or in the national budget for fiscal 2002, officials said.