Temporary work soars in Japan

Japan's unemployment rate reached 5.5% in November

Temporary employment has replaced jobs for life for a growing number of Japanese workers, government statistics has revealed.

This new, flexible labour force has not come about because of a desire by workers to sever their close links with the companies they are employed by.

More than just a number? Searching for work has become a way of life for many Japanese people

Rather, it is a result of a need for companies to slice back their wage and benefit costs as Japan is suffering its third recession in a decade.

Temporary workers are cheap when compared with salary workers; their wages are often lower and the benefits companies pay on their behalf are generally very low or non-existent.

In addition, they are easy to get rid of if demand for staff dips; seven in ten of Japan's temporary workers were employed for less than three months, the ministry reported.

New record levels

A near 30% rise in the number of temporary workers was recorded in the year up to 31 March this year, the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry reported.

Almost 1.4 million workers were either employed doing temporary jobs or registered at employment agencies searching for such jobs by the end of March, the ministry said.

There have never before been so many temporary workers, at least not since the ministry started counting in 1968.

The rise preceded a sharp rise in unemployment during this autumn when new record jobless levels were reached every month, peaking at 5.5% in November.

The December figure has yet to be published, though analyst fear it could still be on the up.