## Trends in Construction Investment (Nominal), Number of Licensed Contractors and Number of Employees

The amount of construction investment, after peaking at about 84 trillion yen in FY1992, dipped to about 41 trillion yen in FY2010, but is now forecast to get back to about 50 trillion yen in 2013 (about 40% down from its peak).

The number of contractors was about 470,000 as of the end of FY2013, down about 22% from its peak (at the end of FY1999).

The number of construction employees (2013 average) was 4,990 thousand, down about 27% from its peak (1997 average).

(Notes) 1 The amount of investment is results up to FY2010, estimates for FY2011 and FY2012 and a forecast for FY2013.

## (2) Securing and fostering humand resources to work for the construction industry

Because the construction industry is underpinned by human resources in the sense that success or failure in its production depends on the capabilities of technicians and skilled labor at work, encouraging young workers to join in the industry and creating an environment in which these young workers can proudly concentrate on their assignments while acquiring expertise and skills should be necessary for the industry to fulfill its vital obligations, as for forging a safe and secure national land over an extended period of time to come.

To this end, the government and the construction industry are working in accord to upgrade the work environment, as by keeping appropriate wage levels for skilled labor and enforcing thorough subscription to social insurance programs, and also to drive enhancement and consolidation of the functions of the Fuji Education Training Center, the strong point of human resources development for the construction industry, to foster technicians and skilled labor.

Qualifications for taking technical certification tests have been reviewed to give incentives for acquiring qualifications at an early stage of one’s career and to foster a population of competent young technicians.

Strategic publicity campaigns have also been promoted to improve the image of the construction industry cherished by the general public and also to appeal to younger people who might choose to join in the industry.

In addition, the acquisition, development and utilization of registered technicians who are furnished with work management, modulatory and other relevant capacities to qualify themselves to work in key operations have been promoted. As of 31.03.14, 41,951 technicians (in 32 different kinds of jobs) were registered. The availability of registered key technicians is taken into account at point addition scoring during the Ministry’s management reviews or contractor bidding assessment for public works projects (trial works).

## (3) Establishing a framework of fair competition

As the construction industry takes charge of the jobs of keeping local communities safe and secure, as through the development, maintenance, management, etc. of local infrastructures, it needs to establish a framework of fair competition among contractors, including thorough legal compliance, to enable those of them who are superior in their technical strength, construction capability and management power to keep up with their growth. To this end, the Ministry has been working to normalize the practice of deals between prime contractors and subcontractors in the construction business by conducting subcontracting transaction status surveys, on-the-spot surveys, etc., opening a desk for consultation services on troubles, complaints and other problems encountered in concluding construction work contracts as “Construction Business Transaction Normalization Center” and collaborating with prefectural and municipal governments during the Construction Business Normalization Promotion Month (November).