## Overview

## Outline of Recent Employment Measures

#### 1. Immediate employment development program (April 1998, budget of ¥49.5 billion)

Enhancement, etc.

(cf. Comprehensive economic measures, budget scale of approx. ¥16 trillion)

### 2. Comprehensive employment activation plan (November 1998, budget scale of ¥1 trillion [15 months])

→ Employment creation and labour mobility support in addition to employment security

• Subsidy for creating employment and securing human resources for small- and medium-sized enterprises

• Immediate employment creation special subsidy

• Special subsidy for supporting the labour mobility of middle aged and older workers

[Aimed at creating/securing employment at a scale of 1 million persons]

(cf. Immediate economic measures, budget scale of over ¥17 trillion)

#### 3. Immediate employment measures (June 1999, budget of ¥329.9 billion)

→ Immediate measures with the primary component being the creation of employment opportunities with the focus on middle aged and older involuntary unemployed

[Creation of employment and increased employment opportunities at a scale of 0.7 million people]

• Creation of special subsidy for the creation of employment in new and growing areas

• Creation of human resource mobility special subsidy (drastic enhancement of the special subsidy in supports of the labour mobility of middle and older age workers)

• Creation of special immediate local employment grant

### 4. Employment measures within economic rebirth measures (November 1999, budget scale of ¥1 trillion [15 months])

→ Support for the establishment of small- and medium-sized enterprises, etc. to create/secure employment, employment creation measures in regions negatively affected by the impact of large scale restructuring

• Special subsidy for creating local employment for small- and medium-sized enterprises

• Subsidy for creating employment in designated regions or for subcontractors

Creation

### 5. Immediate employment measures focusing on the elimination of employment-mismatches (May 2000)

→ Early development of human resources needed in growing industries, employment promotion

• Vocational training in information and communication technologies and long-term care related areas

• Special subsidy for the creation of employment in new and growing areas

• Creation of a support system for developing the abilities of unemployed graduates after finding employment, etc.

[Realization of creation of employment and employment opportunities at a scale of 0.35 million]

### 6. Employment measures within New Growth Policy to Promote Economic Rebirth (October 2000)

## → New growth policy with a focus on 4 areas, including promotion of rapid progress in IT innovation

• Promotion of comprehensive human resource development measures to cope with IT utilization

• Development of employment opportunities for middle aged or older persons through trial employment and creation of barrier free workplace promotion projects in thereby eliminating employment-mismatches for the elderly

(cf. New Growth Policy to Promote Economic Rebirth in Japan, budget scale of approximately ¥11 trillion)

### 7. Employment measures within Immediate Economic Measures (April 2001)

## → Employment creation and safety net

• Extension of measures in enhancing the immediate employment creation special subsidy and special subsidy for the creation of employment in new and growing areas, etc.

• Enhancement of training courses for middle aged and older white-collar job leavers and promotion of IT related ability/human resource development

• Smooth enforcement of the revised Employment Insurance Act

• Implementation of Job Information Net

• Enactment of the revised Employment Countermeasures Act, etc. at the 151st regular diet session

#### 8. Comprehensive employment measures (September 2001, budget of ¥877.1 billion)

## → Security of employment stability and creation of new industries

Development of employment demand

Elimination of employment-mismatches

• Active job offer information provision, including enhancement of "Job Information Net" and nationwide expansion of job offers provided by "Hello Work Internet Services", and extension of service hours of Hello Works

• Elimination of employment-mismatches due to ability/age through development of career consultants

• Security/creation of various ability development opportunities through utilization of private sector entities, including private education/training institutions, etc.

Development of safety net

• Creation of special immediate local employment creation grant

• Enhancement of extended training benefit system

• Creation of livelihood fund loan system for retired self-employed, etc.

### 9. Employment measures within Comprehensive Measures to Accelerate Reforms (October 2002)

## → Enhancement of employment safety net

Response to accelerated bad debt disposal

• Creation of special subsidy for promoting employment support involving bad debt disposal

Creation of new employment

Activation of labour demand adjustment by private sector entities and response to diverse work styles

Revision of employment insurance system

Response to job leavers

Establishment of “Strategic Headquarters for Industrial Revitalization and Employment Measures”

#### 10. Employment measures within Reform Acceleration Programs (December 2002, budget of ¥513.0 billion)

## → Establishment of employment safety net in preparing for economic/social structural changes

Creation of intensive employment revitalization support projects

• Drastic enhancement of special subsidy for promoting employment support involving bad debt disposal

Creation of early re-employment support fund projects

Support for career development according to market needs and reinforcement of employment-matching functions

• Implementation of employment support by full-time early re-employment counselors

• Active provision of employment-related information

Creation of new employment and security of employment stability

• Creation of special subsidy for promoting local employment demand creation projects

• Creation of subsidy for supporting business foundations by qualified recipients

• Enhancement and effective utilization of immediate local employment creation special grant projects

• Enhancement of subsidies for implementing immediate work sharing measures

Reinforcement of employment support for groups in extremely severe employment environments

Careful response to job leavers