Editorials Aug 28, 2019
Measures need to be implemented to ensure that freelancers are treated fairly by their corporate clients.
National Jul 9, 2019
Nearly 70% of ill and disabled people have difficulties working in Japan, report finds
The report also underlined a desire among such individuals to be part of the workforce, with 84.5 percent saying they want to work or continue working.
Business / Corporate Jun 25, 2019
Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc. plans to cut the number of its employees by about 4,000, or 15 percent of its workforce, from fiscal 2017 levels, it was learned Monday. By reducing its payroll to 22,000-23,000 workers by the end of fiscal 2020, which starts ...
National Jun 22, 2018
New graduates hope for work-life balance rather than boardroom role
by Cory Baird
Working long hours to move up the job ladder is a lower priority for newly employed graduates in the nation, according to a recent survey published by the Japan Productivity Center (JPC). The 50th edition of the annual research, released Thursday, showed that over 40 ...
Business / Tech | FOCUS Aug 22, 2017
Prime time in worker-scarce Japan for investing in service robots
by Henry Hoenig and Keiko Ujikane
Faced with their worst labor shortage in decades, Japanese service companies are finally turning to labor-saving technology, an investment that could lift the sector's woeful level of productivity and allow them to raise wages. While the nation's manufacturers are renowned for deploying advanced robotics, most ...
Business Aug 1, 2017
IMF urges Japan to boost foreign, female and elderly labor participation
The International Monetary Fund has called on Japan to promote the use of foreign workers and the participation of women and elderly people in the labor market as part of efforts to achieve firmer and sustained growth. In its assessment of the Japanese economy following ...
Business / Economy Jul 7, 2017
Japan's real wages up 0.1% on year, the first rise in five months
Japan's real wages in May gained 0.1 percent from a year earlier for the first rise in five months, the government said Friday. Total cash earnings per worker, including base and overtime pay, increased 0.7 percent to an average ¥270,241 (around $2,300), the second consecutive ...
National Feb 21, 2017
Japan aims to attract more foreign workers amid growth in tourism
The government compiled a plan Tuesday to ease visa restrictions for foreign workers in designated special economic zones to address the growing need for tourism services. The move signals a shift in the nation's immigration policy, which has traditionally focused on allowing only highly skilled ...
National Feb 20, 2017
Redefining Japan's 'seniors' to older age may free up still agile workforce
by Yoshiaki Nohara
When do you become a senior citizen? That's an increasingly important question in Japan, demographically the world's oldest nation, where the challenge is to keep people healthy and productive as they live longer. The answer should be 75, 10 years older than many people think now, ...
Business Dec 22, 2016
Major Japanese firms' winter bonuses up for fourth straight year
Winter bonuses at Japanese companies employing more than 500 people averaged ¥880,736 ($7,500), up 0.02 percent from the previous year and rising for the fourth straight year, the country's major business lobby said Wednesday. Winter bonuses at Japanese manufacturers averaged ¥900,490, up 0.47 percent and ...
National / Social Issues Dec 20, 2016
Abe administration presents draft guideline for 'equal pay for equal work'
The government has unveiled a draft guideline for a system of "equal pay for equal work" regardless of employment status. The draft, presented Tuesday at a government meeting for promoting employment reforms, stipulates that companies should provide equal payment to nonregular employees who engage in ...