this reorientation of policy appears to have had an impact since the number of freeters had by declined more than from the peak the japanese government should continue its policy aiming to reduce the precariousness of youth employment and in this respect the principal recommendations contained in the oecd s jobs for youth japan report remain valid policies in the s included the further expansion of participation in silver human resource centres which now have almost million members about of the total population aged above and the introduction of an option for firms of implementing a system for continued employment after their mandatory retirement age rather than increasing the mandatory retirement age itself