Unemployment rate for September jumps to record 5.3 percent

The seasonally adjusted Japanese unemployment rate for September jumped
to a record 5.3 percent according to government statistics released on
October 30.

Corporate restructuring and the government's "structural reform" policy
are apparently the main causes for the sharp increase.

About 3.57 million people are out of work in Japan. What is worse, the
period without jobs is becoming longer. As of August, 920,000 people were
unemployed for more than twelve months, which is also a record. This means
that one out of four unemployed people can't get a job even a year after
losing their jobs.

In contrast, the number of the employed is falling. As of September it
showed a fall for six months in row.

At the news of the 5.3 percent unemployment rate, representatives of two
major national trade union centers on October 30 commented as follows:

Bannai Mitsuo, secretary general of the National Confederation of Trade
Unions (Zenroren) said that blame for the rise of 0.3 percentage points in
one month should be placed on the inability of the Koizumi Cabinet to deal
with the job shortage. He called on the government to end its policy of
encouraging corporate restructuring, get corporations to end illegal unpaid
overtime, and secure and create jobs. He called on corporations to maintain
jobs as part of their social responsibility.

Kusano Tadayoshi, secretary general of the Japanese Trade Union
Confederation (Rengo), criticized the government for favoring supply side
and market forces and neglecting the people's livelihoods and their jobs. He
said that the government should at least end deregulatory steps related to
employment. (end)