New Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Ritsuo Hosokawa is known for his knowledge of labor issues. Now that he's in the Cabinet, he plans to focus on increasing the employment rate for young workers.
The jobless rate for people between the ages of 15 and 24 has remained particularly high, marking 9.0 percent in July against 5.2 percent for all working-age people, according to the ministry.
"We want to fully support new graduates in particular," the 67-year-old Hosokawa said during a recent interview.