Active Employment Measures for People of Japanese Descent by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and Its Results

○　Under the economic crisis that hit in the fall of 2008, more foreign workers, who were often subject to unstable employment such as dispatched or contracted workers, had been laid off or had not been renewed. Many Japanese Descent came to the regional Public Employment Security Office (PESO) for seeking the assistance.

• The number of new job seekers at the Employment service section for foreigners in the PESO where many Japanese descent live.
  (Peak time) January to March 2009, 14,760 persons, (13x higher than the same period in 2008)

○　With poor Japanese-language ability, unfamiliar with Japanese employment practices and insufficient work experience, they find it extremely difficult to be rehired once they are unemployed.

(1) Created one-stop service sections in cooperation with municipality where the Japanese decent densely live. The service sections are open in 32 cities such as Hamamatsu and Ota, nationwide. (As of Apr. 1, 2010)

(2) Established a new consultation/assistance centers for foreigners in areas with particularly high concentrations of people Japanese descent. (in Hamamatsu, Toyohashi, Kariya)

(3) Utilized measures of housing security, various projects (such as subsidy of trial hiring and employment adjustment) for employment maintenance and re-employment assistance extended by the present employment measures for foreigners’ supports.