The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has struck a heavy blow to non-regular workers. It is vital to avoid a rapid increase in the shedding of temporary workers.
According to an April labor force survey announced by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, the number of non-regular workers stood at 20.19 million, nearly 1 million fewer than in the same month last year. Due to the coronavirus situation, employment in the manufacturing industry and related to lodging and eating and drinking establishments declined greatly.
There is concern that temporary staff will continue to lose their jobs. Many of them renew their contract every three months. Those who were contracted in April, the beginning of the new fiscal year, will finish their contract term at the end of June. Labor unions have already been approached for consultations about notices of nonrenewal of contracts.
The number of temps has reached about 1.3 million. The government needs to carefully pay attention to the situations of their employment because they are likely to be affected by economic conditions.
After the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, a massive shedding of temps took place, and the number of people who lost as much as their homes increased. This time, it is important to take measures in an appropriate manner before this becomes a social problem again.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has requested the temp industry and other relevant organizations to not terminate contracts without much consideration. Even if they cannot help but do so, the ministry has called on them to allow workers who are in company dormitories to be allowed to stay for a certain period after they have to leave their workplace.
In special cases, subsidies for companies that put their employees on leave without laying them off also apply to non-regular workers who do not have unemployment insurance. Utilizing subsidies, it is desirable for temp agencies to find these workers their next workplace even after the contracts with previous companies have been terminated.
The fact that the system also covers non-regular workers is inadequately known. Efforts should be made so that companies and workers can be sufficiently informed.
There is also a support system in which non-regular workers who leave their jobs can receive benefits equivalent to living expenses as well as work training. To improve their skills and expand their scope of available occupations is fruitful.
On the assumption that the effects of the coronavirus will linger for a while, work in other fields must be facilitated. The important thing is to shift the labor force toward demand while minimizing unemployment.
Many farmers are hiring personnel from other lines of business as foreign technical intern trainees cannot come to Japan. The hope is this will prompt employment in industries suffering from labor shortages, such as nursing care and distribution services, or in growing fields including the IT industry.
Many local governments and chambers of commerce and industry are helping businesses in industries facing labor shortages by matching them with job applicants. It is indispensable to identify needs with regional conditions in mind. The central government is required to analyze successful examples and make efforts to provide information.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on June 10, 2020.
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